Self-employed pay

Marina Ahmad: How will you work to ensure that self-employed Londoners receive at least the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: Many self-employed workers continue to experience low pay and poor employment conditions. Self-employed Londoners were particularly adversely affected by the pandemic and gaps in the government’s income support schemes. An estimated 200,000 of London’s 869,000 self-employed were excluded from income support.
The platform developed through the Gig Economy Challenge of my Resilience Fund will help self-employed workers in the gig economy to better understand how their take home pay relates to the London Living Wage.
In my second term, I will develop charters for good work, fair pay and best practice for both gig economy workers and freelancers in the creative industries. I will continue to work with the Living Wage Foundation to encourage fair pay across London’s economy. Self-employed Londoners may also find resources on my Employment Rights Hub useful to help identify their status and employment rights.

Sick pay during the pandemic (2)

Marina Ahmad: Will you encourage London’s employers to pay full sick pay to all those Londoners required to self-isolate to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus?

The Mayor: Through my Good Work Standard, I encourage all employers tooffer enhanced rates of sick pay. Many Londoners are dependent on Statutory Sick Payif they aretold to self-isolate, which is insufficient to meet living costs in London.I am concerned that workers in some low-paid professions are also at a higher risk of exposure to the virus and still lack adequate pay protections if they have to self-isolate. No-one should be penalised for doing the right thing and following government advice to self-isolate or quarantine.
Many accredited Good Work Standard employers are exemplifying best practice in sick pay provision. They are sharing best practice and resources through the Good Work Standard community, across a wide range of sectors and business types. My team is available to support employers to accredit to this programme.

Sick pay during the pandemic (1)

Marina Ahmad: It was reported (https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-government-hid-sick-pay-scheme-for-wo...) that the Government suppressed access to sick pay for people isolating at the height of the pandemic and that the Treasury instructed officials to conceal from the public how the furlough scheme could help those isolating. Do you agree that Londoners who are required to self-isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19 should be entitled to full pay?

The Mayor: I share your concern that government may not have made thisprovisionof the furlough scheme clear. It does notseem to have been appropriately communicated to employers, advice services and workers who are trying to do the right thing tohelpprevent the spread of COVID-19.
Many Londoners are dependent on Statutory Sick Payif told to self-isolate, which is insufficient to meet living costs in London. While the government has introduced the Test and Trace SupportPayment, I have called for this payment to be higher. The government should review its approach to ensure no-one is prevented from following advice because of financial necessity.
In lieu of government action, I encourage employers tooffer enhanced rates of sickpaythat can be used by self-isolating workers.

Cost of Updating the Tube Map

Emma Best: How much does it cost Transport for London to update the Tube map twice a year?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) produces a number of different types of Tube map. These range from the printed maps that are available in station, including the pocket Tube map, through to maps that offer additional information for customers with accessibility needs, for example the Step Free Tube map.
In 2019, TfL spent £300,000 updating the Tube map. In 2020, it spent £192,000. The spend was lower last year for two reasons. First, there were no significant changes required so the map was only updated once and, second, TfL printed far fewer pocket Tube maps as there was less demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cross-Border Transport Links (1)

Emma Best: How is the Mayor looking to strengthen transport links between neighbouring towns outside of London’s borders with towns inside London’s borders?

The Mayor: For London to be a less car-dependent city, and to ensure that the wider city region remains economically successful, fully inclusive public transport must not only be provided for travel within London, but should be improved for travel between London, the wider South East and the rest of the UK. While most national rail services and public transport outside London are not my responsibility, my Transport Strategy envisages improvements to the capacity and quality of public transport links between all the South East and London.
In the near term, the Elizabeth line, to open in 2022, will strengthen links from Essex and Berkshire to London, and work to integrate High Speed 2 with London’s public transport system is underway at Old Oak and Euston. More broadly, the programme of public transport improvements set out in my Transport Strategy – such as the Tube, Overground and bus services, interchange, accessibility and customer service - will improve the connectivity to town centres across London from areas outside London. TfL is also in regular contact with the three new sub national transport bodies that border the capital to discuss these issues.

Cross-Border Transport Links (2)

Emma Best: With a move to more car-free travel, do you acknowledge there is a massive gap in public transport infrastructure between towns either side of the London border which is limiting travel options?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy identified a need to continue to invest in increasing the capacity of national rail services linking towns outside London with London itself. About 70 per cent of all rail travel (including Tube) in the UK is to, from or within London.
My Transport Strategy also identified the need for an 80 per cent increase in rail capacity by 2041 to cater for London and the Wider South East’s growing populations. While short term levels of demand may be relatively uncertain, the long-term outlook remains for growth. Transport for London is currently working closely with Network Rail to identify the investment needed to cater for this long-term growth, and in due course will work with the new Great British Railways to help shape the delivery of this investment and services. TfL is also in regular contact with the three new sub national transport bodies that border the capital to discuss these issues.

Loss of NHS workers in London

Caroline Russell: Over the course of the pandemic, numerous studies and surveys have suggested that large proportions of the NHS workforce were increasingly likely to quit their job for a variety of reasons, including safety at work and pay. To what extent are these projections materialising in London, and what actions are you taking through your work with partners on the London Health Board to help protect against NHS staff losses in London?

The Mayor: London’s NHS and care workers have worked tirelessly during the COVID pandemic and I am acutely aware of the sacrifices they have made in doing so. My Health Adviser, Dr Tom Coffey, meets regularly with the Royal College of Nursing’s London Region Director and we are aware of the issues.
NHS Workforce Statistics for NHS Hospital and Community Health Service staff (March 2021 and published on 1 July 2021) indicate that whilst London’s leaver rate for all staff groups was higher than the national figure (9.8% v 9.2%), London’s joiner rate was higher (14.2% v 13.8%). This led to an increase in the NHS headcount in London.
However, there is no room for complacency. NHS London has assured me that they are taking action on retention, staff wellbeing and welcoming and supporting staff. This work will be vital to build on the learning from COVID and to further opening up of services and addressing the waiting lists that have built up.
The health and care workforce is a key enabler of the London Health and Care Vision. The London Health Board (LHB) recognises workforce as a key priority. It was raised as a particular challenge by the Chief Executive of the King’s Fund in his presentation on London’s Integrated Care Systems at the LHB meeting on 29 June in the King’s Fund report discussion.

Mayor's International Business Programme Criteria

Shaun Bailey: The criteria for the Mayor’s International Business programme states that a business must have between ten and 250 employees and be generating revenues of more than £1m per annum. What consideration have you given to businesses which do not meet these criteria?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s International Business Programme is designed to help companies that are at a sufficiently advanced level of growth and have the potential to significantly scale their business through exporting.
Companies that are at too early a stage in their development to benefit from such support are able to consider applying for L&P’s free early-stage Business Growth Programme. They may also benefit from the range of support offered by the London Business Hub and its team of advisers.
The Mayor’s International Business Programme will also consider a company for inclusion in the programme if they have

Good Work Fund Criteria

Shaun Bailey: What is the selection criteria and process for choosing recipients of funding through your Good Work Fund?

The Mayor: Successful bidders under the Good Work for All Fund have now been notified. To be awarded a grant under the programme, bidders needed to demonstrate how their project aligns to the London Recovery Programme and supports priority groups, is informed by clear evidence of demand for specific sectoral skills and is shaped or supported by employers, business and other representatives of the intended delivery sector.
Awards were made to the highest ranked bidders, following recommendation by an expert panel. All successful bidders were subject to the GLA’s financial due diligence process prior to the award of a grant. Successful Good Work for All bidders have been awarded funding on a pro-rata basis.
For further information on the Good Work for All Fund, please see the published Prospectus. Table 4 in the document provides a full list of the questions bidders had to respond to and their weightings.

Air quality and Schools (6)

Leonie Cooper: How many schools in Merton are still in areas where NOx or PM is above WHO limits, at any time?

The Mayor: The WHO guideline annual mean limit for NO2 concentrations matches the UK limit value of 40 µg/m3. Based on our modelling, no schools in Merton are located in areas that exceed this value. Our modelling also suggests that, as with most of London, there are no schools in Merton located in areas which meet the WHO’s annual guideline limit of 10 µg/m3 for PM2.5.
For the protection of human health, my ambition is for London to meet the WHO’s guideline limit for PM2.5 by 2030. However, I need Government to match London’s efforts in order to achieve this, which is why I will continue to offer to work with Government for the same limit to be adopted in the Environment Bill, as well as for additional powers and resources to tackle non-transport pollution sources.

Transparency of risk register

Zack Polanski: The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for robust scrutiny of plans for handling high-level risks to London. Are you satisfied that there is enough detail shared in public for risks assessed by GLA bodies such as Transport for London (TfL) when financial and other impacts are not present in public papers?

The Mayor: The London Resilience Partnership’s Risk Register is a publicly available document which assesses the risk of an emergency occurringin London. It is based on advice from Government and assessment by the different agencies in the London Risk Advisory Group (LRAG). Membership of the group includes TfL and other GLA bodies. They have full access to the assessments used to analyse risks. The London Resilience Forum gives final approval before publication. The Forum includes representation from TfL and other GLA bodies.

Fire Brigade compliance with ULEZ

Zack Polanski: What proportion of vehicles operated by London Fire Brigade (LFB) are compliant with your Ultra Low Emission Zone and your Low Emission Zone?

The Mayor: Of London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) current fleet of 425 vehicles, 316 are currently ULEZ compliant and this includes all of LFB’s frontline pumping appliances. The majority of LFB cars are zero emission capable which means they are complainant with the 2030 zero emissions deadline. LFB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TfL that waives ULEZ charges until 30 April 2022 on a small percentage of their fleet to support LFB’s vehicle replacement schedule. By April 2022 only 13 vehicles will be non-compliant.

Air quality and Schools (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many school audits have taken place so far and how many more are anticipated in this term of the Mayoralty?

The Mayor: Through my school and nursery air quality audit programmes, 50 primary schools and 20 nurseries located in the most polluted areas of London have received audits, advice and funding to reduce air pollution in and around the school premises. I am pleased to see that a number of local authorities such as Islington and Westminster have seen the positive results of these pilot programmes and have launched similar ones. Others such as Hammersmith & Fulham, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and Tower Hamlets will also be launching programmes in the future, which will increase the total number of audited schools across the city.
On 22 February, I also launched the Schools Pollution Helpdesk, so that any interested school in London can request support with an air quality audit. To date the Helpdesk has helped nine schools with air quality audits, with a further two in the pipeline. It is difficult to anticipate interest from schools, but the Helpdesk’s priority is to support as many as possible to take action on air quality, prioritising those located in high pollution areas.

Frequency of grass fires

Zack Polanski: How many grass fires have the London Fire Brigade (LFB) attended, by year, since 2016?

The Mayor: The number of fire incidents attended by the London Fire Brigade in ‘grassland, woodland and crops’ between 2016 and 2021 is presented in the table below:
Year
Fire incidents in ‘grassland, woodland and crops’
2016
2,535
2017
2,430
2018
3,160
2019
2,378
2020
3,170
2021*
1,006
*as of 6 July 2021

Updating health inequalities strategy implementation plan

Caroline Russell: When you update your health inequalities strategy implementation plan, given the lessons of the last year, will you be adding new health key performance indicators relating to access to green space, and the need for low traffic and safe streets?

The Mayor: At the London Health Board (LHB) on 29 June I committed to bring the Health Inequalities Strategy (HIS) implementation plan to the 16 November LHB meeting. Work is underway at the GLA and with partners to refresh the plan for my second term, including in the light of the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic, and the inequalities it has given light to so far. The environment, green spaces and transport are important determinants of health, and these will remain core to delivery of the HIS. Air quality and active travel are already two of the five key performance indicators of the HIS, and they are included in the 14 population health inequalities indicators. The latter were developed with advice from Public Health England (PHE), and I will continue to be guided by their advice – and in particular that of my Statutory Health Adviser, Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director, PHE - and the advice of colleagues across the GLA.

Concern about PHE schools data

Caroline Russell: Do you share my concern over the lack of data from Public Health England (PHE) around the spread of the Delta variant in our schools?

The Mayor: I am confident that PHE is providing the data that is needed, whilst maintaining the requirement to ensure medical confidentiality. We estimate that the delta variant now accounts for around 99% of cases in London, so it follows that virtually all outbreaks in schools will be attributable to this variant. PHE publishes regular technical briefings as well as weekly ‘flu and COVID-19 reports, both of which describe the number of outbreaks in schools that are managed by PHE. It is also possible to look at the rates of cases in school-aged children, as this data is publicly available as part of these reports. PHE confidentially shares information on outbreaks in schools in real time with local authorities and has good working relationships with local Directors of Public Health. Local schools’ use of the Department for Education’s COVID helpline is also shared confidentially with relevant local authorities.

Violent Crime Task Force (6)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of firearms seized by the Violent Crime Task Force in each year since its launch.

The Mayor: Since the Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) was launched in April 2018 until the end of June 2021, the command has recovered 671 firearms. The data cannot be broken down by year.
The term ‘firearm’ used by the VCTF includes items such as CS Gas, air rifles and BB guns. The figures seized by the VCTF would be different to the figures for the number of ‘Lethal Barrelled Weapons’ (viable firearms) which have been seized.

Violent Crime Task Force (7)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of firearms seized by the Violent Crime Task Force per month, in each London borough, for the last 12 months.

The Mayor: The Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) has recovered 257 firearms in the last 12 months. The data cannot be broken down by London borough.
The term ‘firearm’ used by the VCTF includes items such as CS Gas, air rifles and BB guns. The figures seized by the VCTF would be different to the figures for the number of ‘Lethal Barrelled Weapons’ (viable firearms) which have been seized.

Violent Crime Task Force (4)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of knives and weapons seized by the Violent Crime Task Force in each year since its launch?

The Mayor: Since the Violent Crime Task Force was launched in April 2018 until the end of June 2021, the command has recovered 2,659 knives and 1,609 offensive weapons. The data cannot be not broken down by year.

Violent Crime Task Force (5)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of knives and weapons seized per month, in each London borough, for the last 12 months.

The Mayor: The Violent Crime Task Force has recovered 1,465 knives in the last 12 months. The data cannot be broken down by London borough.

Violent Crime Task Force (2)

Sem Moema: How many arrests have been made by the Violent Crime Task Force in each year since its launch?

The Mayor: Since the Violent Crime Task Force was launched in April 2018 until the end of June 2021, the command has arrested 14,571 suspects. The arrest data cannot be broken down by year.

Violent Crime Task Force (8)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of weapon sweeps undertaken by the Violent Crime Task Force for each year since its launch.

The Mayor: Since the Violent Crime Task Force was launched in April 2018 until the end of June 2021, the command has conducted 22,493 weapon sweeps.

Violent Crime Task Force (9)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of weapon sweeps undertaken by the Violent Crime Task Force per month, in each London borough, for the last 12 months.

The Mayor: The Violent Crime Task Force has conducted 6,867 weapon sweeps in the last 12 months. This data cannot be broken down by London borough.

Utterberry (1)

Andrew Boff: London business UtterBerry has created a world-leading contactless symptom scanner technology which is in the advanced stages of the FDA’s approval process in the US but is currently still undergoing MHRA approval here in the UK. Is there anything you can do to support UtterBerry to ensure their much-needed technology is quickly approved and rolled out across London to reduce the need for future lockdowns?

The Mayor: London is a world-leading smart city with the potential to be a global testbed for innovation, including in the health and care sector. Where we are approached on the potential for new technologies, including to assist the city's recovery from the pandemic, we refer to the advice of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The methods and timescales for the MHRA to determine the safety, quality and effectiveness of new products is a matter for the MHRA to determine. My Chief Digital Officer for London has recently published the draft Emerging Tech Charter for London which sets out London's expectations for innovators and buyers on how data-enabled technologies should be trialled and deployed in the city, including adherence to three important principles: working in the open, respect for diversity and trustworthiness with data.

Welsh Government change of policy on roads

Siân Berry: Following the Welsh Government announcement that the road-building projects it funds will be paused and reviewed, does this prompt you to think again about pausing and reviewing the Silvertown Road Tunnel project? And if not, why not?

The Mayor: Significant review of the Silvertown Tunnel scheme has already taken place and I remain confident it is the right solution to the chronic issues of congestion, poor reliability and a lack of resilience at the Blackwall Tunnel. Doing nothing is not an option and I am confident that the new tunnel, along with a flexible user charging regime and a comprehensive new cross-river bus network, will allow traffic levels and emissions to be appropriately managed for the long term. This is what sets the Silvertown Tunnel scheme apart from other ‘road-building’ projects.
I also note that the Welsh Government’s announcement does not apply to any projects which have already started construction, and that they are still proceeding with the A465 Heads of the Valleys project for which the contract was awarded in November 2020, a year after the Silvertown Tunnel contract was awarded.

Planning (1)

Andrew Boff: Will you reject applications for residential towers in areas which aren’t specifically included as suitable for tall buildings in borough local plans?

The Mayor: London Plan policy D9 includes three elements: Part A defines ‘tall buildings’; Part B addresses the location of tall buildings; and Part C deals with the impacts of tall buildings; including visual impacts, legibility, architectural quality, internal and external design, servicing and micro-climatic conditions.
The London Plan emphasises the importance of a local plan-led approach to the location of tall buildings, but this cannot mean the default rejection of applications for residential towers in areas which aren’t specifically included as suitable for tall buildings in borough local plans. The policy and its application to schemes is - and must be - a matter of planning judgement.
Decisions must be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise – this means the development plan considered as a whole. It is fairly common for a scheme to comply with certain aspects of a policy or particular policies and to conflict with others. Conflicts between development plan policies must be considered in the light of all material considerations. Despite non-compliance with Policy D9B it may be a legitimate judgment - taking account of all elements of policy conflict and compliance and other material considerations - to conclude overall that a planning application should be approved.

Green Belt

Andrew Boff: Could the Mayor confirm whether or not he would be flexible on SIL to aid Enfield Council in delivering more housing and to steer it away from its deeply unpopular plans to de-designate Green Belt?

The Mayor: The 10-year housing target for Enfield set out in my London Plan is based on the strategic policy objectives of protecting both the Green Belt/Metropolitan Open Land and London’s industrial capacity. This approach was supported by the evidence base that accompanied the London Plan and informed its development.
London Plan policy E4 requires the provision and maintenance of a sufficient supply of land and premises to meet current and future demands for industrial and related functions. Policy E7 encourages the intensification of industrial and related uses in Strategic Industrial Locations (SIL) and Locally Significant Industrial Sites (LSIS) to provide additional industrial capacity and, in specific circumstances, to support the delivery of residential and other uses. The GLA has also published best practice guidance to help boroughs promote the intensification of industrial land through local planning policy.
GLA officers are currently reviewing Enfield’s draft local plan to assess its general conformity with the London Plan. This will involve looking at Enfield’s approach to housing delivery, what options have been considered in arriving at that position, and the evidence underpinning it.

Green Belt

Andrew Boff: Will the Mayor confirm whether he will personally talk to the Leader of Enfield Council regarding his unhappiness with her Draft Local Plan which proposes mass de-designation of London’s Green Belt?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration would be happy to meet with the Leader of Enfield Council to discuss their local plan, however, the formal Mayoral Opinion in accordance with planning legislation remains the most important mechanism for setting out my views on Enfield’s local plan including those matters relating to Green Belt.

Utterberry (2)

Andrew Boff: Technology such as smart sensors, Smart IoT devices and contactless symptom scanners developed by UtterBerry have the ability to enable a return from Covid restrictions and to reduce the need for future lockdowns. What steps will you take to support the delivery and rollout of these crucial technologies across London?

The Mayor: There are many exciting new technologies being developed with the potential to improve the health and wellbeing of Londoners, including the management of COVID, and it would not be appropriate for me to champion the roll out of one product over other potentially similar products on the market or in development. As responded in Question 2021/2803, medical devices need to meet approval of the national Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) before they can be rolled out. To support innovators I have developed a draft Charter to guide discussions between makers and buyers, including the public sector, when deploying emerging technology in the city, to ensure decisions are transparent, products are designed around the needs of Londoners and they meet the highest standards, including around privacy and data protection, which is particularly important where health data is collected.

Planning (3)

Andrew Boff: How much Metropolitan Open Land has been lost in the past 10 years by borough?

The Mayor: My London Plan has a clear objective that Metropolitan Open Land should be afforded the same protection as Green Belt and protected from inappropriate development. The National Planning Policy Framework does allow development on protected open space if very special circumstances can be demonstrated.
The number of planning permissions involving construction that would lead to a loss of Metropolitan Open Land by year over the last five years for which the data is currently available are as follows:
These statistics include permissions on previously developed open space and for uses that are ancillary to the primary use as open space, such as sports facilities. They may also include improvements to existing or adjacent open space, including greater public access.
The data is derived from the data in the London Plan Annual Monitoring Reports and is not available at a more granular level. We also do not hold data prior to these years in a format that would enable an accurate answer to be given. However, looking forward, the new Planning London Datahub will enable more accurate and detailed analysis of such issues.

Planning (2)

Andrew Boff: Will you provide a list of called-in applications alongside the reasons for call-in since 2016?

The Mayor: A full list of all applications called in for my determination together with reports, plans and decision are available to view here. The reports give an understanding of the background to each of the cases.

Long-term Aviation Recovery

Nicholas Rogers: What work are you undertaking to help support the long-term recovery of the aviation industry and related sectors in London?

The Mayor: Supporting the sector and the communities that are reliant on inbound travel and tourism is key to London’s recovery. The London Recovery Board is looking at how to support the hardest hit sectors – including the aviation sector - so that the short-term jobs crisis does not become a longer-term structural issue. We are exploring what help the sector needs including reskilling and diversifying airport economies, prioritising sustainability and linking to emerging sectoral clusters.

Sector Skills Academies for Aviation

Nicholas Rogers: In response to my question 2021/2376 you said you will establish Sector Skills Academies across London “focused on sectors such as Creative, Green and Digital”. How are you going to specifically support those in the aviation industry and related sectors through these academies?

The Mayor: My Academies programme is focused on providing Londoners hardest hit by the pandemic with high quality training and career development opportunities. The Academy sectors – Creative, Green, Digital, Hospitality, Health and Social Care, which were endorsed by the London Recovery Board - all have high vacancy rates and skills shortages.
Each Academy will be formed through the creation of new partnerships or ‘hubs’ bringing together employers, training providers and other partners, to respond to local need. Whilst aviation is not a sector that the programme will specifically be focusing on, at-risk aviation workers could be supported to find new employment through training, work experience and wider employment support.
Londoners who have been affected by job losses in aviation and related industries will also be able to access learning funded by the Adult Education Budget programme as well as a range of employment support through the forthcoming No Wrong Door programme in partnership with London’s boroughs.

Recycling

Emma Best: Can the Mayor provide the year-on-year target or advise there is no year-on-year target for recycling set?

The Mayor: My London Environment Strategy (LES) sets overall targets which support my ambition for London to become a zero-waste.
Through Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs) I have agreed targets with boroughs for 2022 that contribute towards to my London wide goal of 65% recycling of municipal waste by 2030. Taken together, if implemented in full by the boroughs, RRPs are expected to increase London’s household waste recycling rate from 33% in 2019/20 (the most recent figures) to 40% in 2022.
Year-on-year targets are not commonly used. There is usually a time lag of around a year in the publication of waste data by DEFRA but due to fluctuations in waste volumes, a longer time period is more useful in assessing progress. For these reasons boroughs do not usually set annual targets and I have not included them in my LES.

Climate action from Government

Zack Polanski: The latest Climate Change Committee report to Parliament states: “A pattern has emerged of Government strategies that are later than planned and, when they do emerge, are short of the required policy ambition.” What actions have you lobbied the Government to take up since 2016 to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change?

The Mayor: While London has ambitious policies and programmes to reduce the causes and effects of climate change, we need Government to do its part.
I have lobbied government on a range of climate change mitigation and adaptation issues since I became Mayor, both through responses to consultations and direct engagement with ministers and regulators.
The latest summary of my key asks of government is set out in my last Comprehensive Spending Review submission. If funded this would allow us to increase the scale and speed at which we were able to tackle climate change in London. These can be found in the ‘cleaner, greener London’ chapter of my CSR submission from September last year: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/csr-submission._final.pdf

Food delivery costs

Marina Ahmad: Given the importance of food delivery services during the pandemic and the recent findings from Which? that ordering through an app was 23% more expensive, will you write to the largest food delivery companies and ask them to ensure that Londoners required to self-isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19 are not paying over the odds for food deliveries, and that any additional costs as a result of delivering food must ensure that those working in the food and delivery industries are paid a London Living Wage?

The Mayor: I hosted a roundtable in January with charities representing clinically vulnerable groups in January, which discussed access to food. Following this, I wrote to major supermarkets to add my voice to a campaign led by 23 charities, which called for them to suspend delivery charges and end minimum order levels for those with priority delivery slots.
I am clear that no-one should be penalised for following government advice to self-isolate. The government’s Test and Trace Support Payment should be reviewed to ensure no-one is prevented from following advice due to financial necessity.
In my second term, I will work with the Living Wage Foundation to make London as a Living Wage City Region, including a focus on hospitality and night-time workers.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

Leonie Cooper: How much of the £160m funding for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund has been allocated to London?

The Mayor: The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is a national grant scheme developed and administered by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) which is due to open for bids later in the year. Details of the programme, including the eligibility criteria, overall level of funding and any funding allocations have not yet been published.
My Retrofit Accelerator - Homes (RA-H) programme supports social housing providers in London to secure funding and can help eligible organisations bid into this Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund when it opens.
In the last year alone my energy efficiency programmes have helped secure more than £180 million in funding from BEIS for retrofit activity in homes and public buildings in London. This is from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator as well as funding for the Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator.

Reskilling the Recovery Aviation

Nicholas Rogers: In response to my question 2021/2376 you said you “have been working with a range of partners in West London, including the London Borough of Hounslow, to support apprenticeship creation through the Reskilling the Recovery campaign.” How is this specifically supporting Londoners in the aviation industry and related sectors?

The Mayor: The London Progression Collaboration’s (LPC) Reskilling the Recovery campaign facilitates the transfer of unspent apprenticeship levy from large levy-paying employers to non levy-paying employers to create new apprenticeship opportunities in priority sectors.
Over £6.8m has now been raised through the campaign to date, of which £650,000 has been contributed from levy-payers within West London.
The LPC has worked directly with Heathrow airport, supporting them to transfer their levy to fund local apprenticeship opportunities within priority sectors.
Other West London employers that have contributed to the campaign include; Brunel University and the London boroughs of Harrow and Hounslow. The funding raised has been directed toward the creation of apprenticeship opportunities locally, supporting an area affected by labour market disruptions in the aviation industry.

Reskilling the Recovery Targets and Funding

Nicholas Rogers: In response to my question 2021/2376 you said you “have been working with a range of partners in West London, including the London Borough of Hounslow, to support apprenticeship creation through the Reskilling the Recovery campaign.” How much funding if any, have you given to this and what targets have you set for apprenticeship creation?

The Mayor: The Reskilling the Recovery campaign is an initiative established by the London Progression Collaboration (LPC) pilot, which is being delivered jointly with the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) and JP Morgan Foundation. The pilot aims to create around 1,000 apprenticeships by facilitating the transfer of unspent apprenticeship levy from large levy paying employers to non-levy paying employers.
The GLA’s contribution to the LPC is £350,000. In addition, the GLA has pledged £72,000 of its levy funds to the Reskilling the Recovery campaign.
The LPC has worked closely with employers in West London to support the creation of apprenticeships locally. Over £6.8m has been pledged by the campaign to date, of which £650,000 has been made available to fund apprenticeships in West London. This levy funding has been raised from local employers including Brunel University, GlaxoSmithKline and the London borough of Hounslow.

Proportional representation for local government

Zack Polanski: Do you support proportional representation for local government? What reformed systems would you be prepared to support being piloted?

The Mayor: Londoners chose the system for electing the Mayor and London Assembly in 1998 - it was part of the proposals voted on in the 1998 GLA Referendum.
I would expect all Londoners, the Assembly and the Mayor to be consulted on any future Government proposals for constitutional change.

Climate action from the Mayor

Zack Polanski: The latest Climate Change Committee report to Parliament states: “A pattern has emerged of Government strategies that are later than planned and, when they do emerge, short of the required policy ambition.”Would you support a similar independent report released annually on climate action by the GLA?

The Mayor: I am committed to doing all I can to tackle climate change. I have moved London’s net zero target forward to 2030. I am focused on driving action to support that ambition.
As mentioned in my reply to your question last month on climate impact reporting (2021/2251) I already report on my main climate and energy programmes through the GLA’s quarterly performance monitoring process, which is shared regularly with the Assembly and then through the London Greenhouse Gas Inventory (LEGGI) on an annual basis.
The London Assembly, as London’s scrutiny body, regularly provides independent scrutiny of my environment programme as do others such as the London Sustainable Development Commission.

Support for Children (7)

Sem Moema: What assessment have you made of the success of the Waltham Forest Food Poverty Action Plan?

The Mayor: Waltham Forest was one of ten local authorities I funded to produce a food poverty action plan as part my commitment to addressing food insecurity. The council developed the plan in conjunction with local partners and its recommendations laid strong foundations for Waltham Forest to respond to the pandemic’s impact on the food system and levels of food insecurity.
This was highlighted in Sustain’s ‘Response, Resilience and Recovery’ report last year, which identified Waltham Forest as one of eight councils to demonstrate cross-cutting leadership and a joined-up approach in its actions.

Support for Children (6)

Sem Moema: How are you supporting hungry children in our capital?

The Mayor: During the pandemic, I provided emergency funding and supported London-wide infrastructure to ensure food reached families in need. I also supported the End Child Food Poverty Campaign and joined campaigners urging the Government to do more to support children experiencing food insecurity, including through the implementation of the National Food Strategy’s recommendations.
But I know that food insecurity isn’t an issue created by Coronavirus. My Survey of Londoners revealed 400,000 children in London were experiencing food insecurity before the pandemic and we know this situation has worsened.
To this end my teams are developing further initiatives to address food insecurity under the London Recovery Board’s Robust Safety Net mission – much of which is already underway. This includes support for organisations working in partnership to address food insecurity through my Food Roots Incubator programme and my support for Kitchen Social, which has helped local authorities to deliver high-quality holiday provision programmes throughout 2021.

Planning (4)

Andrew Boff: When will the London Plan Annual Monitoring Reports for 2019/20 onwards be published?

The Mayor: As part of the ongoing process of increasing access to our planning data, we are exploring the possibilities of providing the AMR data online. The latest information on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is available online here. Many of these have been updated with the data for 2019/20.
All our planning application data is now instantly available via the Planning London Datahub. Visualisations and dashboards providing live analysis of the KPIs drawn directly from the Datahub are currently in development and will be released over the coming months.
Officers are currently working with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the data on the Datahub for 2019/20 is as comprehensive and accurate as possible and will then produce the Annual Monitoring Report. We anticipate this will be later this year

Planning (5)

Andrew Boff: Will you include those properties converted using permitted development rights in the London Development Database and the emerging London Planning Datahub?

The Mayor: Where any form of application for prior approval is required for conversion of a building using permitted development rights, the information about that proposal (and decision) should now be captured in the Planning London Datahub.
All of the data from the London Development Database has been transferred to the Datahub.

Water Fountains

Leonie Cooper: Can the Mayor update me on how many free water fountains have been installed in Wandsworth and Merton, and how many more are planned for each Borough?

The Mayor: To help Londoners ditch single-use plastic bottles and reduce plastic waste, I partnered with the Zoological Society of London to install 28 drinking fountains and Thames Water to install over 100 fountains across busy areas of London. So far, I have installed 82 drinking fountains across 21 boroughs and the City of London.
I invited applications to host a fountain from all Londoners, including London boroughs, other public landowners, private landowners, and leaseholders/managing agents. We received five applications for fountains in Merton and ten in Wandsworth, of which three were subsequently withdrawn by the applicant and two were not progressed due to site feasibility.
So far, I have installed one drinking fountain in Wandsworth and two in Merton. Subject to site feasibility and government easing of lockdown restrictions, I plan to install four more fountains in Wandsworth and four more in Merton when I recommence new installations in the Autumn.

GLA planning process (5)

Nicholas Rogers: Does the GLA commission outside experts to advise on technical issues arising in called-in planning applications, e.g. school place provision?

The Mayor: GLA officers can seek expert advice from external consultants / advisers on planning applications when this is considered necessary to assist in making a judgement on a technical matter and where the GLA does not have the relevant in-house expertise. Previous examples have included specialist advice in relation to daylight and sunlight and heritage matters.

Former Stag Brewery application, Mortlake

Nicholas Rogers: Further to my urgent motion agreed by the Assembly on 1st July, will you now agree to the requested delay to the public hearing for the Former Stag Brewery in Mortlake, and a meaningful discussion process with residents and other stakeholders?

The Mayor: As I said in my response to your letter, the hearing date for the Former Stag Brewery application was pushed back from 16th to 27th July.
With national Covid restrictions due to lift on 19th July, I agreed it made sense to make this change so we could accommodate more residents and others who wanted to attend City Hall in person for the hearing.
You will be aware of the problems associated with holding a hearing during the school holidays, which is why we did not push it back further into August.
I understand some residents want to discuss alternative proposals, but as the decision-making planning authority, the Mayor is required to determine the scheme before him or her from the applicant. There is no mechanism in the planning system for the Mayor to engage with proposals for alternative schemes from third parties – that is not the Mayor’s role.
GLA planning officers have assessed the proposals and concluded that the scheme should be considered as currently submitted.
Prior to reaching that conclusion they met with local groups and representatives several times over the past year. I understand that the scheme has been amended to address areas where it would not meet planning policy, and residents were consulted on these amendments. The hearing will give them – and other interested parties – the opportunity to make their case and express their concerns in an open forum.
As the London Plan makes clear, I am absolutely committed to meaningful community engagement in the planning process, and there have been many opportunities for such engagement on this scheme.
But any further deferral until September would raise issues around the timely nature of decision-making and could be subject to challenge.
You will be aware of the housing delivery challenge facing London, and the planning system has an important part to play in addressing this challenge. This includes determining planning applications without undue delay, as required by national policy.
I have been advised that the hearing should go ahead on 27th July, but I was happy to agree to your suggestion of extending the time allowed for objectors to speak at the hearing.

Wimbledon Park

Leonie Cooper: The All-England Lawn Tennis Club are currently setting out plans for possible expansion into Wimbledon Park, including new practice courts. Has the GLA Planning team been consulted by them, especially over the impact on the Capability Brown landscape and green spaces?

The Mayor: As advised on the GLA website, representatives of the Club have had pre-application meetings with GLA planners. The park was significantly re-landscaped in the 18th century by Capability Brown but is currently on Historic England’s ‘At Risk’ Register owing to erosion of the 18th century design through more modern landscaping. Sensitive development could provide an opportunity to restore the site’s historic landscape but any proposal will clearly need to be very carefully considered, in particular how any proposed structures would integrate with, enhance and celebrate the landscape and natural setting.

Domestic Abuse (9)

Sem Moema: On how many occasions has the MPS disclosed information on a partner’s history of domestic abuse under Clare’s Law, for each year since this legislation was passed?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation. It is worth noting that the 'right to know', in certain circumstances, permits police to disclose such information to the public on their own initiative (i.e. not following a request).

The Mayor: 3224_Domestic Abuse.xlsx

Domestic Abuse (10)

Sem Moema: Please give a breakdown of the number of domestic abuse offences in London by ethnicity of the victim, in each year since 2010.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 3225_Domestic Abuse.xlsx

Surge Testing in Lambeth

Marina Ahmad: There is currently surge testing going on in multiple areas of Lambeth due to rises in the Delta variant. What are you doing to support Councils in this, and to encourage residents to take up tests and the vaccine?

The Mayor: The emergence and spread of new variants of COVID-19 poses a real risk to our progress through the roadmap out of this pandemic. I convened the London Strategic Co-ordination Group to coordinate London’s response to COVID-19. Through this partnership London’s Local Authorities, Public Health England and NHS have worked closely at a local level and with communities to develop pro-active approaches to tackling new variants.
I recognise the importance of reducing the transmission of the virus through testing and self-isolation. My teams continue to support pan-London messaging on COVID-19 prevention and control, including explaining to Londoners the importance of surge testing and why it can help us keep control of variants. I continue to work collaboratively with other pan-London partners to align our campaigns. A big focus for our teams has been coordinating our current efforts to reach as many Londoners as possible about the importance of the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine.

GLA planning process (4)

Nicholas Rogers: Would you expect Health Impact Assessments produced for developments currently under consideration to reference the pandemic and the issues that arose as they relate to the built environment?

The Mayor: The longer term implications of the COVID-19 global pandemic are not yet clear but as we look past the initial peak of the pandemic, emerging evidence will be considered in future policy-making, for example around some of the positive opportunities we’ve seen around increased scope for walking and cycling, more spaces for social interaction, and a greater value placed on our green and blue spaces. As London moves forward in its economic recovery, including by building more and better homes, the use of Health Impact Assessments in planning offers local authorities a powerful lever to improve public health and wellbeing, and ultimately help reduce inequalities.

Domestic Abuse (6)

Sem Moema: Please advise how many people have been charged with controlling or coercive behaviour in London, since the creation of the offence as part of the Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.

The Mayor: Please see below the requested data:
Year
Count of Offences
2016
19
2017
37
2018
58
2019
79
2020
96
2021
23
Grand Total
312
A Count of Coercive Control with Charged Outcomes - Recorded between 29/12/2015 and 30/06/2021.

Ensuring a Wide Range of Employers Input into London’s Skills Offer

Hina Bokhari: How are you ensuring that the voices of a wide range of London employers are involved in developing the skills offer for all Londoners?

The Mayor: Businesses and employers have been key to helping inform my priorities for skills, including through my Skills for Londoners (SfL) Business Partnership and my SfL Board, which include business representative bodies.
The public consultation on my draft Adult Education Roadmap for London includes focussed engagement with a wide range of employers and business representative groups.
My London Progression Collaboration pilot has worked with over 60 employers in priority sectors to facilitate the transfer of unspent apprenticeship levy to non-levy-paying employers. £6.8m in levy funding has been raised to date and is being directed to create hundreds of apprenticeships in London.
My Construction Academy and Digital Talent Programme bring together employers and providers to design and deliver skills provision. My £32m Good Work for All fund and new Academies programme will build on this collaboration with employers to support Londoners to gain industry-relevant skills and secure jobs in sectors key to London’s recovery.

Osterley Tesco/Homebase planning applications in Richmond

Nicholas Rogers: Further to question 2021/2384, could you please give an update on any progress on the stage 2 referral report for the Osterley Tesco / Homebase applications? Please give an indication on timescales if possible.

The Mayor: GLA and TfL officers have been in ongoing discussions with the applicant and Hounslow Council officers regarding these two applications. Further discussion is expected prior to the Council formally referring both applications at Stage 2. However, there is no specific timescale for the Stage 2 referral at this stage.

Climate Change and C40 (3)

Leonie Cooper: How can London lead on this work and share its learning with other cities?

The Mayor: I have set an ambitious target for London to be net zero by 2030, and C40 Cities are encouraging other major cities to set their own net zero targets ahead of the COP26 in November. C40 remains an important global network for London, and we continue to play vital role leading several areas of work.
London is actively leading two C40 priorities workstreams - the air quality network and the Divest/Invest Forum. We have also been active in supporting the Inclusive Climate Action forum. London is the first major European city to launch a green new deal fund, supporting climate action and a just transition. The Mayor along with his co-European Vice Chair Mayor Sala, convened a discussion around the green new deal and a just transition in March 2021 and we will continue to share our approaches and learning with other cities through the C40 network.
London will also support C40 Cities in the run up to and during COP26 to showcase the action that cities are taking to tackle the climate emergency.

Climate Change and C40 (4)

Leonie Cooper: How will you be using the C40 during this term, to learn from other cities and to improve environmental activity to London?

The Mayor: London is a key member of C40 cities and leads on the Air Quality Network and Divest/Invest Forum. London is also a peer city in the Inclusive Climate Action Forum. Through these forums and networks, as well as through events that the GLA will host or take part in, London will continue to learn from peer cities and utilise the knowledge co-ordinated by C40 to contribute to our environmental objectives. London will continue to play an active role in the lead up to COP 26 and though the Mayoral term to promote the role cities are taking to tackle the climate emergency and make the case for them to play an even fuller role through the devolution of powers to cities.
In the lead up to and during COP26, London will work closely with C40 to ensure we can highlight the role of city leadership in tackling climate change.

Refugees and homelessness (1)

Siân Berry: What support are you providing to prevent newly recognised refugees from falling into homelessness; and what help are you providing them with to access London’s private rented sector?

The Mayor: It is unacceptable that many newly recognised refugees face the risk of homelessness. I have joined the calls of many in the refugee and homelessness sectors for the 28 day move-on period for newly recognised refugees to be extended; this move-on period has been well evidenced to leave refugees with insufficient time to receive their first benefit payment, find work, and somewhere to live.
The GLA convenes the London Asylum Group, bringing together senior representatives from local authorities, Home Office, DWP, and civil society to prevent and mitigate the risks of newly recognised refugees falling into homelessness.
Through the London Asylum Group, GLA officials have worked with Reed in Partnership to promote and embed the “London Housing Protocol”. This protocol enables Reed in Partnership and local authorities in London to work collaboratively to prevent homelessness by providing better pathways into local authority housing services for newly recognised refugees.

Refugees and homelessness (4)

Siân Berry: How could you work with local authorities to ensure they are informed and responsive to the needs of new refugees living in their boroughs?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Debbie Weekes-Bernard, chairs the London Strategic Migration Partnership which convenes senior officer and political representation from across London boroughs to discuss the needs of newly recognised refugees and people seeking asylum in London.
Through this board, the GLA commissioned research that engaged with London boroughs on their work to support people seeking asylum and newly recognised refugees in their area. This has enabled us to design an Asylum Welcome Programme which will provide intensive support for London local authorities on service design for people seeking asylum. The focus will be on creating pathways to services to help people seeking asylum access support and fully participate in their communities. The programme will look at local authority and civil society provision with explicit attention given to the interface with services delivered by the Home Office and its commissioned providers who maintain responsibility for the provision of asylum accommodation and support.

Refugees and homelessness (3)

Siân Berry: What financial support could be provided to new refugees who are typically leaving asylum accommodation with zero savings, having to wait many weeks for Universal Credit, and are trying to find a home in London?

The Mayor: Many newly recognised refugees face financial hardship; they have just 28 days after they receive their refugee status to move-on from asylum accommodation and support. This move-on period has been well evidenced to leave refugees with insufficient time to receive their first benefit payment, find work, and somewhere to live. I have repeatedly called on the Government to extend the 28 day move-on period.
Newly recognised refugees are eligible for integration loans of between £100-£1000. However, research by the Refugee Council suggests that in practice £500 is usually the upper limit of loans, and that it is often paid after the 28 day move-on period expires.
Through the London Asylum Group, and its Positive Move-On Task and Finish Group, GLA officials facilitate discussions with policy makers about Universal Credit (UC) claims for refugees and have been working to ensure that challenges facing newly recognised refugees can be addressed.

Additional Congestion Charge Revenue

Tony Devenish: How much additional revenue has the congestion charge extension earned since you increased the charge and expanded the hours in June 2020?

The Mayor: The decision in June 2020 to widen the scope and level of the Congestion Charge was a condition from the Government to TfL to secure a funding agreement needed in response to the exceptional circumstances arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was then a requirement of TfL’s second emergency funding settlement with the Government, reached in October, that these temporary changes be kept in place as a continuing response to the coronavirus pandemic. TfL has kept the changes made last year under review, having regard to the transport challenges created by the pandemic.
The additional net revenue derived from the implementation of temporary changes to the Congestion Charge has been £155 million.

HS2 CPO on Wormwood Scrubs (2)

Tony Devenish: Why is HS2 Ltd seeking to compulsorily purchase land on Wormwood Scrubs when they could just extend lease for UTX & SBS sites with the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham?

The Mayor: HS2 has informed OPDC that it is considering exercising compulsory acquisition powers under the HS2 Act to enable it to acquire both the Sewer Works Site and the UTX Site for the purposes of granting permanent rights and easements to utility companies affected by HS2’s works. OPDC has been informed that the intention would be to hand back the land acquired once the works have been completed.
HS2 has informed OPDC that, only by exercising compulsory acquisition powers under the HS2 Act prior to their expiry in February 2022 would HS2 be able to guarantee the rights that affected utility companies are entitled to under the HS2 Act.
Once the works are completed and HS2 has reinstated theland, HS2 has assured OPDC that the land will be transferred back to the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust.

HS2 CPO on Wormwood Scrubs (1)

Tony Devenish: Including any relevant maps as part of your answer, exactly which parts of Wormwood Scrubs are HS2 Ltd seeking to compulsorily purchase?

The Mayor: HS2 has informed OPDC that if it were to seek to exercise compulsory acquisition powers under the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 (the ‘HS2 Act’) over land at Wormwood Scrubs, it would not exceed sites where HS2 is currently undertaking works. HS2 would not be seeking to acquire any additional land.
HS2 has informed OPDC that its intention would be to transfer back the land once the works were completed.
A map of the land where works are currently being undertaken is attached with green outline marking the area subject to a potential compulsory purchase order.

The Mayor: Map -2021-2996 - HS2 CPO on Wormwood Scrubs 1.pdf

HS2 CPO on Wormwood Scrubs (4)

Tony Devenish: Is there any loophole in the wording of the Compulsory Purchase Order where HS2 could claim they “require the land to enable completion of the station” for some as yet undisclosed purpose other than the sewer & UTX works?

The Mayor: The extent of the powers is set out in the HS2 Act. HS2 has informed OPDC that no final decision has yet been taken on whether it will exercise its compulsory acquisition powers under the HS2 Act. HS2 has confirmed to OPDC that should it do so, any acquisition will be for the purposes of granting permanent rights to affected utility companies and that once done, the land will be transferred back.

HS2 CPO on Wormwood Scrubs (3)

Tony Devenish: What legal guarantee is there that any land on Wormwood Scrubs that HS2 Ltd is seeking to compulsorily purchase will be returned to the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham upon completion of works? If there is no such guarantee, could HS2 Ltd sell the land to a developer instead?

The Mayor: HS2 has informed OPDC that if it were to seek to exercise compulsory acquisition powers under the HS2 Act then it would transfer the land back to the Wormwood Charitable Trust upon completion of the works. Once HS2 has completed its works and no longer requires the land, HS2 would have to act in accordance with its land disposal policy for surplus land which requires the land to be offered back to its former owners in certain circumstances. Nevertheless, OPDC will press HS2 to enter into an agreement with the landowners confirming they will transfer it back once they have finished.
Wormwood Scrubs is a protected open public space, wildlife habitat and a crucial amenity for residents and Londoners. As Metropolitan Open Land, the London Plan 2021 affords strong protection for the Scrubs.
OPDC, as the local planning authority, reinforces this protection in its newly submitted Local Plan which includes a dedicated vision and policy to protect the Scrubs as a cherished open space.

Let's Do London - Outer London

Neil Garratt: How will you be using your Let’s Do London campaign to specifically boost domestic tourism in outer London and support the economic recovery of these boroughs?

The Mayor: The Let’s Do London campaign focusses on encouraging visitors to London’s Central Activities Zone, an area approximating to Transport for London’s ‘Zone 1’ and the Canary Wharf area. This is because the reduction in footfall and spending, and the impact on jobs in sectors like retail, culture, leisure and hospitality caused by the pandemic has been most profound in central London, due to the absence of international and domestic tourists and commuters.
However, I am working with all boroughs to ensure wider promotional and economic benefits are felt right across the capital; and we will be promoting activity and events through the GLA, Mayoral and Visit London social channels. Businesses across London can access a Let’s Do London free-to-use toolkit which will help them promote their events as part of the Let’s Do London campaign.

Purley Way Masterplan

Neil Garratt: Would you please confirm that the 7,500 homes proposed in the Purley Way Masterplan will count towards the delivery of Croydon’s London Plan housing targets?

The Mayor: Croydon’s 10-year housing completions target in the London Plan 2021 is 20,790. Any homes completed in the area of the Purley Way Masterplan during the period will count towards meeting the target.

SME Growth

Neil Garratt: How many London SMEs have grown into large businesses since 2016?

The Mayor: No London-wide data exists on the number of SMEs growing above 250 employees since 2016. London was however the region with the largest number of businesses showing ‘high growth’ between 2016 and 2019, a count of 2,670 or 5.4.[1].
‘High growth’ measures businesses who had at least 10 employees in 2016 that had an average growth in employment of greater than 20% per year between 2016 to 2019. The high growth rates are calculated by showing these businesses as a share of the 2019 active businesses with 10 or more employees. (Businesses born in 2016 are not included.)
[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/activitysizeandlocation/bulletins/businessdemography/2019#in-2019-there-were-13000-high-growth-businesses-in-the-uk

Supporting Large Enterprises

Neil Garratt: What actions are you taking to support large enterprises in London and boost London’s appeal to such businesses?

The Mayor: As London’s most pro-business Mayor ever, I continue to channel investment into areas of importance to London large enterprises and the 2.6 million people they employ: For example, through my adult education budget I am equipping Londoners with the skills, education and training they need to participate in the modern economy. I am campaigning for Government to provide a new long-term, sustainable and fair funding model for TfL, to enable continued investment in our world-leading public transport system. I am investing in London & Partners’ work to champion our city across the globe and to encourage international businesses to choose London as a place to invest and grow. Through ‘Let’s Do London’,the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen, I am working alongside London’s business community to revive central London by encouraging Londoners and visitors back as hospitality, shopping and cultural destinations reopen.

Vacant Office Space Forecasting

Hina Bokhari: Has any analysis been done with employers to understand the levels of vacant office space expected in the next three years in London?

The Mayor: The CAZ Economic Futures research which I commissioned from Arup, Gerald Eve and London School of Economics, published earlier this year, examined potential future trends in office working and remote working, including an employee survey undertaken by the British Council for Offices. I have also commissioned a range of surveys on the impact COVID is having on London’s increasingly important flexible workspaces and how the sector is evolving and adapting to new ways of working. The survey results, with a range of recommendations will be published mid-2022.
The full extent of changes in office working practices and the impact of broader shifts in the demand for office space have yet to emerge fully. It is therefore difficult to forecast the expected trend in office vacancy rates with any degree of certainty. But the above research highlighted that office vacancy rates remain well below historic peaks across most central London office sub-markets.

Positive Impacts of Large Enterprises

Neil Garratt: What research have you undertaken to investigate the positive impacts of large enterprises on London’s economy?

The Mayor: The GLA has not undertaken specific research on the positive impact of large enterprises. Obviously, they are major contributors to London’s economy. According to the latest business population statistics from BEIS, 1,695 large enterprises in London employed over 2.6 million people (47 per cent of all business employment) and generated just over £ 502 billion turnover (40 per cent of total business turnover) at the beginning of 2020. As set out in the Evidence Base for London’s Local Industrial Strategy (February 2020) large enterprises are part of a broader, diverse and dynamic business ecosystem which reflects London’s role as a global business capital; and where businesses of all sizes contribute to the city’s prosperity and create a diverse range of high-skilled jobs for Londoners.

Expansion of the Workforce Integration Design Lab Programme

Hina Bokhari: Although I very much welcome the Workforce Integration Design Lab Programme, what plans do you have to support young women and young Black women into the construction sector in London, and will you consider expanding the Workforce Integration Design Lab to include supporting these other underrepresented groups in the construction and infrastructure sectors?

The Mayor: I am committed to supporting all underrepresented Londoners to access the labour market. WIN supports businesses to understand and address the systemic barriers which prevent some groups from progressing into work. Whilst the focus is currently on young Black men, the work undertaken to develop more inclusive business practices will help increase representation of other underrepresented Londoners.
The current expansion to the programme will be delivered through the Helping Londoners into Good Work mission. I will create skills academies with a focus on sectors key to London’s economic and social recovery. The academies will ensure the delivery of high-quality training, work experience and wider employment support to support Londoners hardest hit by the pandemic into good work. This work will be informed by research into the underrepresentation of certain groups within each of the key sectors.
In addition, the Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) hubs are supporting women into construction through targeted marketing and interventions. In two years of delivery, over 287 women have been supported into construction employment or apprenticeships across the hub areas.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Neil Garratt: What are you doing to support large enterprises in London to contribute to and launch corporate social responsibility projects in London?

The Mayor: I encourage large enterprises to engage with the London Recovery Programme and its Anchor Institutions initiative, to help deliver a green and fair recovery. These organisations can use their role as large employers and significant purchasers of goods and services to support their community. For example, I welcome support for the New Deal for Young People mission seeking to provide a mentor for all young Londoners by 2024.
During the pandemic, I worked with partners such as the NHS to connect corporate offers of support to those in need, including device donation and supporting national networks such as Business in the Community.
Large enterprises can effect change in their communities by committing to practices in my Good Work Standard, including Employer Supported Volunteering. Programmes like the Workforce Integration Network (WIN) and the London Enterprise Adviser Network (LEAN) work to improve opportunities for all Londoners.

Promoting good employers

Marina Ahmad: Would you consider a webpage on the GLA website which shows Londoners which employers are Living Wage accredited and/or Good Work Standard accredited to promote good employers in London and support Londoners in supporting good employers?

The Mayor: I have long championed good work and recognise those employers who are doing the right thing for their business and their people.
A full list of Good Work Standard employers is already published on the Greater London Authority website at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/business-and-economy/supporting-business/good-work-standard-gws-0/good-work-standard-accredited-employers Londoners and employers can also find more information on the programme there.
Living Wage-accredited employers are listed on the Living Wage Foundation website, searchable by region and sector. This list is available here https://www.livingwage.org.uk/accredited-living-wage-employers

Apprenticeship Targets

Neil Garratt: How many apprenticeships do you hope to create during this mayoral term? Please specify a target number.

The Mayor: I have no specific powers over apprenticeships or levers over the apprenticeship levy and so no plans to set a target for apprenticeship creation. However, I remain committed to championing apprenticeships as an important route for Londoners to find and progress in work.
I will do this by continuing to lead by example, promoting the creation of high-quality apprenticeship opportunities across the GLA Group and its supply chains including via responsible procurement frameworks as well as through the London Progression Collaboration.
I have signed the Anchor Institutions Charter, co-signed by some of London’s biggest organisations, which commits to using our procurement and recruitment power to maximise employment opportunities, including apprenticeships.
My Academies programme will work with employers to promote and coordinate the creation of high-quality apprenticeships in priority sectors.
My No Wrong Door initiative will also raise awareness of apprenticeships and ensure that young Londoners are signposted to available opportunities.

Let’s Do London

Marina Ahmad: In response to MQ 2021/1494, you stated that “Through the London Transition Board, we have briefed Government on the Let’s Do London campaign. This has included requests for additional funding, as the scale of the challenge facing London is huge and will continue until the return of international tourism.” What has been the Government’s response to the requests for additional funding so far?

The Mayor: The Government has not yet provided a response.
As noted in my stated response to you, the BEIS Secretary of State has confirmed that it is of critical importance to government and the visitor economy that central London recovers quickly as restrictions are loosened further. Last month’s Government Tourism Recovery Plan issued by DCMS further emphasised the importance of the return of tourists to London to the UK’s recovery.
The scale of the challenge facing London remains huge and will continue until the return of international tourism. As 25 per cent of the UK’s economic output comes from London and it contributed net £38.7 billion to the Treasury before COVID-19, I am keen to continue to work more closely with Government on London’s tourism recovery.
I together with my Deputy Mayors and officers will therefore continue to brief government on the successes of the Let’s Do London campaign at relevant ministerial and officer meetings, and to request additional funding.

COVID-19 and Brexit – Impacts on International Competitiveness

Hina Bokhari: What are you doing to address the economic challenges posed to London by a combination of Brexit and the COVID-19 recovery, in particular the effects on London's international competitiveness?

The Mayor: London is a resilient city and was the number one destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) globally in 2020 (source: fDi Markets)
The fundamental strengths of London such as a favourable time zone, world class talent and access to global markets continue to attract businesses and entrepreneurs from all over the world. But we cannot underestimate the combined impact of Covid-19 and Brexit and increasing competition from other global cities.
This means we need to work even harder to continue to sell London internationally. London& Partners (L&P), the business growth and destination agency for London, continues to promote London internationally as a leading global destination to invest in, focusing on high-growth sectors that will bring the most value to London. I made clear in my election manifesto that investment in L&P’s work championing our city across the globe will continue to be a priority.
I launched the new ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign in May to kick-start London’s economy as the Covid-19 restrictions were eased. The campaign is bringing together the capital’s world-leading hospitality, culture, nightlife and retail venues to promote all London has to offer and encourage Londoners and visitors back into central London. This campaign complements the work that is being carried out as part of London’s economic recovery Missions which are bringing together the public, private and voluntary sectors, to restore confidence in the city, minimise the impact of the pandemic on communities and build back better the city’s economy and society.

Good Work Standard

Marina Ahmad: How many Londoners are benefitting from your Good Work Standard?

The Mayor: Over 215,000 Londoners work for Good Work Standard-accredited employer. Their employers are demonstrating their commitment to the highest employment standards in fair pay and conditions, workplace wellbeing, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment. I’m calling on employers of all sizes and sectors to pursue Good Work Standard accreditation.

London Living Wage

Marina Ahmad: How many Londoners are benefitting from the London Living Wage and how does this compare to the start of your first term?

The Mayor: There are now over 2,290 accredited Living Wage employers in London, a figure that has more than doubled since I took office in 2016. Approximately 89,000 Londoners receive a pay rise each year as a result of the uplift in the London Living Wage rate.
However, there is more to do while low pay persists in our economy. The Living Wage movement will continue to play a pivotal role as part of London’s economic and social recovery from the pandemic. I am committed to supporting the campaign through programmes such as my Good Work Standard, and my commitment to bring together employers, workers, community groups, unions and our anchor institutions to make London a Living Wage City Region during this Mayoral term.

Support for businesses during the pandemic

Marina Ahmad: What response have you and business leaders had from the Government on extending COVID support following the announcement to keep COVID restrictions on 14 June 2021?

The Mayor: The reduction of financial support at the end of June has increased the pressure on businesses in culture, nightlife and hospitality sectors that are unable to open or fully reopen until 19 July. When the delay to re-opening was under consideration last month, members of my Covid-19 Business Forum and I wrote jointly to the Prime Minister to propose extensions for economic support for businesses that needed it until restrictions were lifted. The Government agreed an extension of the moratorium on commercial evictions in response, but our requests for extensions to the full business rates holiday and the full furlough scheme were ignored. With many businesses in these hard-hit sectors on the brink of collapse, the Government’s failure to extend support until all restrictions are lifted will have negative consequences for jobs and livelihoods.

Fire Risk Assessments and LFB

Anne Clarke: Recent analysis by the Building Safety Register found that 79% of the Fire Risk Assessments published online were expired. How important is it to the work of LFB that Fire Risk Assessments are kept up to date in case of an emergency?

Building Safety Register, ‘Despite Grenfell, London councils are still ignoring fire risk assessments!’ 20 March 2021

The Mayor: It is very important to London Fire Brigade that the risk assessment is kept up to date, particularly if any changes have been made to the building structure, occupancy, or fire safety measures. The Brigade also needs to know when there has been a temporary suspension of the ‘stay put’ policy while remediation works are carried out and the building is operating a simultaneous evacuation strategy.
These factors have a bearing on the behaviour of the building in the event of fire and operational decisions taken by firefighters at an incident. Delays in providing information can increase the risk to occupants and to operational fire crews. However, if relevant information is available, even if any issues remain unresolved, the Responsible Person can take action to mitigate risk and information can be provided to operational crews for appropriate action.

Divert programme reoffending

Unmesh Desai: How many young people has the Divert programme engaged with who have a) gone on to re-offend b) have not re-offended, since 2015?

The Mayor: In July 2021 the College of Policing published their evaluation into DIVERT. This evaluation studied re-arrest data of people between November 2018 and March 2019. Overall it showed that 58% of people who had come through the DIVERT programme had not been rearrested after 6 months.
The evaluation itself didn’t cover the crucial reoffending data so going forward DIVERT requires a more in-depth study to cover that metric.
Here is a link to the key findings and full evaluation from the College of Policing:
https://www.college.police.uk/article/vulnerability-and-violent-crime-join-our-online-seminars

Divert programme indicators

Unmesh Desai: What are the key indicators of success for the Divert programme?

The Mayor: The DIVERT programme which operates across 12 BCUs in London and is funded by the Violence Reduction Unit has three main indicators for success. Firstly, how many young people the programme engages with in custody and how many young people DIVERT offers a respective action plan and guidance to. Secondly, how many of those young people then achieve an outcome around employment, education and training. Thirdly, how many of them stay away from violence both as a perpetrator and victim.
DIVERT is also committed to ensuring that young people do not reoffend. The programme acknowledges that people may be re-arrested but that consistent long-term support from the programme is needed to ensure that young person changes direction.

Divert programme engagement

Unmesh Desai: How many young people has the Divert programme engaged with in each year since it began, including in 2021 so far?

The Mayor: Since 2018 DIVERT has been funded centrally by the Home Office. Between October 2018 to March 2020 it was funded via the Early Intervention Youth Fund. Since March 2020 it has been funded by London’s Violence Reduction Unit.
Between October 2018 and March 2020 DIVERT worked with and engaged 1,001 young adults who came into police custody. 559 were given information, advice and guidance. 265 have received training and development and 96 were employed.
Between March 2020 and April 2021 DIVERT worked with 468 young adults that came into police custody. 270 were given information, advice and guidance. 182 received training and education whilst 9 went into employment. We recognise the significant impact COIVD had on coaches being able to be in custody and the opportunities for young people.
Since April 2021 DIVERT has worked with 318 young adults in police custody with 32 so far in training and education with a further 9 in employment.

Green Belt

Sakina Sheikh: Can you tell me how many planning applications have involved construction on the Green Belt in the each of the last five years?

The Mayor: My London Plan is clear that the Green Belt should be protected from inappropriate development and that development proposals that would harm the Green Belt should be refused except where very special circumstances exist. The National Planning Policy Framework provides a clear context for the management of development within the Green Belt.
The number of planning permissions involving construction that would lead to a loss of Green Belt land by year over the last five years for which the data is currently available is set out below. These statistics include permissions on previously developed open space and for uses that are ancillary to the primary use as open space. They may also include improvements to existing or adjacent open space, including greater public access.
The data is derived from the data in the London Plan Annual Monitoring Reports.

Brownfield Sites

Sakina Sheikh: Can you tell me what percentage of new homes in London have been built on brownfield sites in each of the last five years?

The Mayor: Prioritising development on brownfield land is a key part of the approach the London Plan takes to meeting London’s substantial housing need. This ensures there is sufficient space for other essential land uses without encroaching on London’s valuable open spaces.
The percentage of residential units completed on brownfield land by year over the last five years for which the data is currently available is as follows:
The data is taken from the London Plan Annual Monitoring Reports.

Threshold Approach to Viability

Sakina Sheikh: How has the Threshold Approach to viability helped boost the amount of affordable homes in London? Are you able to quantify this?

The Mayor: The Threshold Approach was introduced through my Affordable Housing and Viability guidance in 2017 and now forms part of the London Plan 2021. It has incentivised developers to provide significantly greater levels of affordable housing than secured in previous years. It does so by enabling schemes that provide higher levels of affordable housing to follow the Fast Track Route, avoiding the need for protracted viability debates and late stage viability reviews. This has sped up the planning process and helped to embed affordable housing requirements in land values. My guidance has also ensured that excessive land valuations can no longer be used to drive down affordable housing requirements in viability tested schemes. These are scrutinised by boroughs and my expert Viability Team to ensure that affordable housing is maximised, even where applications don’t follow the Fast Track Route.
In 2020, 37 per cent of units (41 per cent by habitable room) in referable schemes were secured as affordable housing, up from 25 per cent in 2016. The number of affordable homes in referable schemes in 2020 at 14,337, was also the highest for every year for which data is available (since 2011), with additional affordable homes also secured by boroughs in non-referable schemes. The average affordable housing per scheme in 2016 was 22 per cent but this increased to 40 per cent by unit (42 per cent by habitable room) in 2020.

Monitoring weight of vehicles

Siân Berry: What monitoring does Transport for London (TfL) have or support into the weight of vehicles on London’s roads, and is this information used in any modelling of repairs needed to structures such as road bridges?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not routinely monitor the weight of vehicles using the road network. There are national regulations for permitted vehicle weights (DfT: HGV maximum weights) and procedures that hauliers must adhere to if they wish to transport vehicles/goods that are above these weights (Transporting abnormal loads). Where a bridge or other asset has been assessed to be unable to support legal road vehicle weights then appropriate action is taken to safeguard the asset, including enhanced monitoring, vehicles restrictions and/or asset repair and refurbishment.
In general, vehicle type categories are used as a proxy for vehicle loading, for example, HGVs, LGVs, buses and cars. This information is used to assess and model the requirements and performance of road surfaces, bridge strength, and fatigue life of steelwork.

Air quality and Schools (5)

Leonie Cooper: How many schools in Wandsworth are still in areas where NOx or PM is above WHO limits, at any time?

The Mayor: The WHO guideline annual mean limit for NO2 concentrations matches the UK limit value of 40 µg/m3. Based on our current modelling, no schools in Wandsworth are located in areas that exceed this value. However, in 2016, prior to the implementation of my ambitious policies, there were nine.
Our modelling also suggests that, as with most of London, there are no schools in Wandsworth located in areas which meet the WHO’s annual guideline limit of 10 µg/m3 for PM2.5.
For the protection of human health, my ambition is for London to meet the WHO’s guideline limit for PM2.5 by 2030. However, I need Government to match London’s efforts in order to achieve this, which is why I will continue to offer to work with Government for the same limit to be adopted in the Environment Bill, as well as for additional powers and resources to tackle non-transport pollution sources.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs in West Central

Tony Devenish: What actions are you taking to specifically support and create jobs and keep to your manifesto slogan of “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” in my constituency of West Central?

The Mayor: I have used London’s £330m Adult Education Budget to expand training and further education to tens of thousands of Londoners. In 2019/20 alone this included 12,500 residents in West Central enrolled in 28,800 qualifications.
Looking ahead, my new Academies programme and £32m Good Work Fund will also help Londoners access vital jobs in sectors such as Green, Cultural and Creative, Health, Hospitality, and Digital, including in West Central.
Working with London’s sub-regional partnerships of boroughs, my ’No Wrong Door’ initiative will strengthen partnerships with boroughs, Jobcentre Plus, and other stakeholders in West Central and other areas to improve access to vital skills and job support.
As the economy reopens, my £7m Let’s Do London campaign is protecting jobs and supporting job creation in the culture and hospitality sectors, including in West Central.
My £10m Green New Deal will also help to create thousands of new green jobs.
I will further support jobs through various direct and indirect levers, including business support, resilience grants, infrastructure works, supply chain opportunities, and partnerships with anchor institutions across London.

Jobs Targets in West Central

Tony Devenish: What is the target number of jobs you aim to create and protect in this mayoral term in my constituency of West Central?

The Mayor: Through my manifesto commitments and the London Recovery Programme I am committed to supporting jobs across the capital, including in West Central.
I have not set an overall target for the number of jobs to be created or protected but the key programmes supporting my agenda for jobs, outlined in MQ2982, including the Academies programme, £32m Good Work Fund, and the No Wrong Door initiative, will involve robust monitoring and impact measurement to ensure that the activity we fund is making a real difference to Londoners’ lives.

Supporting Digital Healthcare

Tony Devenish: How are you working with partners via the London Health Board to support digital healthcare and new technologies in NHS London as part of London's recovery from COVID-19?

The Mayor: Our 2019 shared Health and Care Vision for London recognised that digitally connecting London’s health and care providers is one valuable prerequisite underpinning digital healthcare to realise the ambition to make London the world’s healthiest global city, and the best global city in which to receive healthcare services. Partners represented on the London Health Board are refreshing that Vision to mobilise action from a broad set of actors across the health and care sectors including the public, private and voluntary sectors as well as wider civil society. The London Recovery Board has also made reduction of digital exclusion one of its missions so that every Londoner will have access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025. This is also critical to some key aspects of digital healthcare – including increasing use of virtual consultations and increasing use of smart technology.

Nursing Vacancies

Tony Devenish: How are you working with the Royal College of Nursing to help address the 8,270 registered nurse vacancies in the NHS in London?

The Mayor: I recognise the importance of addressing the shortage of nurses and the crucial role of the Royal College of Nursing in this work. I continue to work closely with them and all health and care partners to support them to address the shortages. The recent King’s Fund report, which I commissioned, Integrated Care Systems in London, found that workforce constraints remain the biggest risk for health and care in London and specifically highlighted the vacancy rate for adult nursing.
I understand that, reflecting public support during the pandemic, the NHS is now seeing significantly more interest from people who want to pursue nursing careers and they are working with the RCN and others to reduce vacancies. NHS London is also focusing on retention initiatives. I will continue to support and promote NHS initiatives like Capital Nurse and champion London as a place to start a successful career in nursing.
The health and care sector will also benefit from activities planned as part of the Sector Skills Academies Programme. Moreover, in recognition of the huge efforts by London’s key workers during the pandemic, I’ll back frontline health workers and others to get priority for new intermediate homes, such as for shared ownership and London Living Rent.
I recognise the incredible work done by nurses during the pandemic. They deserve not only our thanks but also to be properly rewarded for their work.

First 100 Days

Tony Devenish: Please give a detailed breakdown of what you aim to have achieved by the end of your first 100 days in office of this Mayoral term on 14th August 2021?

The Mayor: I have hit the ground running and amdelivering for Londoners in the first hundred days of my second term as Mayor. This has included:

Tactile paving

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you support the campaign by RNIB, Guide Dogs and other disability organisations to ensure that tactile paving is installed at all train stations ahead of Network Rail’s current timetable of rolling out its provision at all platforms by 2029? Will you write to the Secretary of State for Transport in support of this campaign?

The Mayor: Yes, I do support this campaign and my Deputy Mayor for Transport will write to Government to make our views known. Transport for London (TfL) is committed to taking action to ensure disabled people can travel easily, safely and with independence, which includes ensuring tactile paving is present across its network.
TfL is working with the Rail Delivery Group and Transport Operating Companies to make transport services in London more accessible and share reciprocal best practice lessons from this shared ambition.

Deliveroo

Marina Ahmad: Given the recent ruling that Deliveroo riders are self-employed and are not entitled to organise through a trade union for better working conditions, will you write to the Chief Executive of Deliveroo and encourage the company to do the right thing and ensure good working conditions and pay for Londoners that work for them?

The Mayor: On-demand, digital platform-based work plays an increasing role in London’s labour market, and Deliveroo are among the largest operators. I met with the founder and CEO of Deliveroo in December to discuss a range of issues, including rider conditions and wellbeing. I call on all digital platform operators across sectors to recognise the right of workers to organise and bargain collectively for better working conditions.
Genuine two-way flexibility where both boss and worker have a say in working patterns is a good thing. But when abused by unscrupulous businesses, it creates a race to the bottom in low pay, insecurity and bad practice.
In my second term, I will work with Londoners, businesses, unions, and other stakeholders to develop a charter for the on-demand economy, to help promote the highest standards and shine a light on bad practices. I also encourage platform employers to consider how my Good Work Standard could apply to their business.

Air quality and Schools (1)

Leonie Cooper: Research released by Global Action Plan last month found that 25 percent of London’s schools exceed WHO limits on PM2.5, most notably in Lambeth and Southwark (158 schools combined), Havering (146 schools), Croydon (129 schools), Richmond upon Thames (119 schools) and Redbridge (95 schools). Most of these are outer London boroughs that are either partially or wholly outside the extended ULEZ. What needs to be done to improve PM2.5 levels, particularly in outer boroughs?

The Mayor: Between 2016 and 2019 my air quality policies contributed to a 15 per cent reduction in PM2.5. However, we must go further to protect human health. I have committed in my Environment Strategy to achieve the current WHO recommended guidelines by 2030.
Much of the reduction needed will be achieved through my bold plans including expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, tougher Low Emission Zone standards for heavy vehicles and the Low Emission Zone for Non Road Mobile Machinery which will deliver benefits Londonwide. However, it also requires action by Government and other authorities in areas where I currently have limited powers, including woodburning, commercial cooking and over river emissions.
I continue to make the case to Government for the additional powers and funding cities need to address these sources and to adopt the WHO guideline for PM2.5as a legally-binding target through Environment Bill currently passing through Parliament.

8 Albert Embankment planning application (3)

Tony Devenish: What are the London Fire Brigade’s future plans for this site now that the planning application has been refused by the Secretary of State?

The Mayor: The decision was received on 23 June 2021 and it is too early set out future plans for the site. However detailed analysis is underway to understand options.

Data Sharing Between Prevention Services, the Met and MOPAC

Caroline Pidgeon: The Information Sharing to Tackle Violence Programme (ISTV or Cardiff Model) of data sharing which has been adopted in A&Es across London is a scheme I have consistently supported as it shares key information on things like the location of crimes and weapons used, whilst protecting personal data. Do all organisations commissioned for prevention services by MOPAC operate similar data sharing arrangements with the Met and MOPAC to help them target resources and get a better understanding of crime in our city?

The Mayor: The ISTV programme is an effective means of sharing data to better understand patterns of violence. The question rightly points out the need for data sharing in such a way that it does not inappropriately disclose personal information.
The range of programmes funded by the VRU and MOPAC is extensive and there are some funded programmes where data sharing is not appropriate, such as those that provide individual targeted support such as mentoring or therapeutic support. The scale and nature of commissioned projects mean that many work locally within boroughs and if it is necessary, will have data sharing arrangements with those local partners.
The VRU works closely with the GLA Intelligence Unit and uses comprehensive data to inform its strategic plan, priorities and commissioning of services. Core data includes ISTV submissions, police crime location and weapon related data, as well as wider datasets including the index of multiple deprivation.

London Power (1)

Tony Devenish: Can the Mayor confirm whether or not The Crystal will have London Power as its energy supplier?

The Mayor: London Power is a domestic energy supply company, meaning we only supply power to households. Our focus is on giving Londoners a fair deal on green energy and tackling fuel poverty in the capital.
City Hall currently uses 100% green energy (renewable electricity and green gas), and the Crystal will also be supplied by 100% renewable energy when the GLA moves there.

Net Zero

Tony Devenish: Will the Mayor commit to publishing a quarterly report indicating London’s progression to hitting its target of achieving net zero by 2030?

The Mayor: I report annually on London’s overall progression towards my net zero target, through the London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory, LEGGI. This is already more frequently than required by the C40 leadership standards, which require an updated city-wide inventory every two years. In addition to this, through the GLA’s publicly available quarterly performance monitoring process, I also report on my main climate and energy programmes.

Green Investment

Tony Devenish: Can the Mayor set out how in this term he will encourage greater green investment into London?

The Mayor: My manifesto stated that I will support the City to be the world leading centre for green finance, including setting up a new financing facility to bring more investment for infrastructure into London. I am working with the Green Finance Institute to look at options for what that facility could look like.
But I already have a number of mechanisms attracting green finance including my Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund (MEEF) and Funding London and am also creating an investment fund that investors can contribute towards that will fund renewable energy projects to supply energy to the GLA Group via power purchase agreements. I am also working with the London Pension Fund Authority to divest investment from fossil fuels and into green investments.
My accelerator programmes, planning powers and green new deal investments, such as the London Community Energy fund and Solar Together London, also continue to drive investment into green projects in London.

COP26

Tony Devenish: Can the Mayor state how the GLA will mark COP26?

The Mayor: I have set out my ambition for London to reach net zero by 2030 and intend to use COP26 to highlight the vital role that London and cities around the world can play in tackling climate change. Cities and regions are not part of COP26 - the process of setting binding emission reductions targets - but London will be participating in events to highlight the role of cities in tackling the climate emergency and achieving net zero. A programme of engagements is being worked up with our national and international partners to highlight London’s global leadership, as well as where we require funding and powers from government to enable us to reach our climate ambitions.
As well as the conference in Glasgow, we will continue to work with our stakeholders and partners in the lead up to COP26, including through London Councils, UK100 and C40, to build momentum ahead of the conference.

Flexible working and mental health

Onkar Sahota: The Government has indicated they may want to make working from home “normal” going forward. We know that working from home has proved very beneficial for some individuals, and incredibly difficult for others. How will the Mayor work with businesses in London – potentially though the Good Work Standard - to help find a way forward which centres the mental health of workers, ensuring that working from home can remain an option for many people, whilst not creating a culture where businesses functionally force those who do not want to to work from home to cut down on costs?

The Mayor: Genuineflexibleworkingworks for both the employer and the employee. There is no doubt that as we emerge from the pandemic, many employers, including the GLA, are moving to 'hybrid’ working models in which employees are no longer expected by default to work at the office or HQ most of the time. In doing so, we must ensure that the many benefits of working alongside one’s co-workers, are not lost.
Flexibleor remote working must accommodate the needs of workers to ensure they can plan their life around work. This is especially urgent for carers, parents, olderworkersand disabled people, including those with mental health conditions.
I will ensure that the Good Work Standard,On-Demand Economy Charter and Creative Freelancers Charter set the benchmark for best practice inflexibleworking, recognising the mental health and wellbeing needs of workers across different parts our economy. I will continue to promote workplace wellbeing resources and support for businesses and employees, including through Thrive LDN and Good Thinking, London’s digital wellbeing service.

Compliance with current self-isolation rules for those entering the country

Onkar Sahota: What conversations has the Mayor had with the Government around ensuring compliance with self-isolating for those entering the UK via London airports?

The Mayor: I do not have the statutory powers to ensure compliance with quarantine rules at London airports. However, I have made representations to the Government about this issue so that international arrivals do not undermine the efforts of Londoners to contain the spread of the virus.
In January this year, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport asking for an urgent update on plans to strengthen international arrival procedures. I presented the stricter measures adopted by other countries, using the examples of Singapore, Australia and Canada. In this letter I urged the Government for stronger procedures to be applied much more widely, including active monitoring and enforcement of quarantine rules to ensure compliance. I had previously raised this issue in April 2020 with the Secretary of State (please see Mayor’s Question 2020/1576).

Victims and Witness Care unit repeat victims

Unmesh Desai: Please provide the number of victims and witnesses who have reported an offence against them whilst under the care of the victims and witness care unit in each of the last 3 years.

The Mayor: This information is not held by the Metropolitan Police Service.

Gaming arcades taking over high streets

Siân Berry: Constituents have contacted to me to raise an issue threatening local communities in some of the most deprived areas of London. Gambling giant Merkur Slots are using the opportunity of coronavirus-hit high streets to open gaming arcades in empty shops. What support are you providing to local councils to maintain flourishing high streets and prevent them from being taken over by gambling establishments?

The Mayor: My London Plan provides policy support for councils to manage clusters of retail and associated uses in their high streets, including gambling facilities, having regard to their impacts on town centre vitality, diversity, sustainability, community safety, health and wellbeing. Gambling facilities on the high street can give rise to a range of impacts and councils can draw on the London Plan policy when determining individual planning applications for new gambling facilities alongside any policies in their local plans. There is always a risk that individual planning decisions can be overturned by the planning inspectorate on appeal, but having strong policies in place helps to mitigate this risk.
My London Plan also promotes the use of town centre strategies to provide a clear vision for individual high streets and to help co-ordinate approaches to planning, regeneration, licensing and environmental health. This is being supported by our work on the High Streets for All mission which is providing resources and practical assistance to boroughs to prepare ambitious town centre strategies and deliver innovative new uses for under-used high street buildings working in partnership with local organisations and London’s diverse communities.

Climate Action Week (3)

Leonie Cooper: London Climate Action Week has stated that London was ‘transformed’ as a result of COVID-19. How was London transformed and what are the challenges identified to London building back greener?
London Climate Action Week, ‘About London Climate Action Week (LCAW),’ [date accessed 11 June 2021]. See ‘Theme 4: Sustainable, net-zero London’.

The Mayor: E3, who co-ordinated London Climate Action Week, have stated that ‘London is still being hard hit by Covid-19 and that the city is transforming, whether for better or worse and that it would look at how it could build back after so much change.’
The economic, social and health impacts of the pandemic are well known and have fundamentally changed our city. The challenge we face is to ensure our recovery is able to restore confidence in the city, minimise the impact on London’s most vulnerable communities and rebuild the city’s economy to a fairer, greener and more equal one.
That is why I am working through the London Recovery Board on nine recovery missions. These missions focus on the main challenges that we face including a Green New Deal mission which aims to accelerate the delivery of a cleaner, greener London.

Climate Action Week (2)

Leonie Cooper: What expectations for the COP26 were explored at the London Climate Action Week? How is it hoped that these will be realised?

The Mayor: London Climate Action Week has seen a broad range of activities, with 245 events covering issues such as green recoveries, geopolitics and community action. LCAW is curated by E3G, an environmental think tank, and supported by the GLA with in-kind help. The full set of activities can be seen here: https://www.londonclimateactionweek.org/
COP26 needs to secure increased urgency and greater action to tackle climate change from government and non-government actors. Many of the key themes were explored including finance, mobilising climate action and ensuring a fair and just recovery. London will continue to play an active role in the lead up to COP 26 to promote the role that cities are taking to tackle the climate emergency. COP26 will also provide the opportunity for London to highlight the need for government to devolve powers and funds to maximise the impact that cities and local government can make in supporting delivery of net zero.

London Climate Action Week (1)

Leonie Cooper: What conclusions were drawn about the impact of London’s green recovery during discussions at London Climate Action week?

The Mayor: There were nearly 250 events held during London Climate Action Week and one of the four themes this year was a Green, Fair and Resilient Recovery. There were around 60 events that fell within this category and no doubt many more that talked about the green recovery in the context of the other themes: Road to COP26/Glasgow; Building a Sustainable, Net Zero London; and Whole of Society Climate Mobilisation.
What is abundantly clear is that in recovering from the pandemic tackling climate change is pivotal, within London, nationally and globally. In London this focus will drive growth in London’s green economy, doubling its size by 2030, creating jobs and also tackling inequalities. The range of events also showed how recovery will take an ‘all society’ approach that includes boroughs, government, businesses, communities and individuals.
The London Recovery Board through the green new deal mission is working towards delivering that ambition and the framework of programmes to deliver it.

Refugees and homelessness (7)

Siân Berry: New refugees often face barriers to employment. What work are you doing with employers to provide work opportunities for them?

The Mayor: My £330m Adult Education Budget (AEB) directly supports refugees to access training that can help them into employment. Since I took responsibility for the AEB, I have introduced a 10% funding increase for courses up to level 2 and ensured that Londoners from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, which may include people from refugee backgrounds, are a priority group for my £32m Good Work for All fund and the Sector Skills Academies, which will help refugees gain skills in sectors key to London’s recovery.
One of the main issues refugees face in accessing employment is the language barrier. My ESOL Plus (English for Speaker of Other Languages) programme funded pilots testing innovative approaches to overcoming barriers to accessing and progressing in ESOL classes, such as childcare needs and insecure employment.
Last year, I participated in an event titled “Rebuilding with Refugees“ where I encouraged businesses to support refugee employment as they consider their post-COVID recovery plans. My officers continue to engage with civil society organisations to help refugees access employment and/or start a business.

Supporting Green Infrastructure for London’s Councils (1)

Leonie Cooper: What funding opportunities do you have in place for London’s boroughs to improve their green infrastructure through expanding or enhancing green spaces, increasing tree planting and other projects?

The Mayor: Last month, I announced £6m of new investment in green spaces and climate resilience as part of the Green New Deal Mission. This includes a new £4m Green and Resilient Spaces Fund that will support boroughs to deliver major projects that enhance green and blue spaces and make the public realm greener. Applications will open this month.
My Grow Back Greener Fund is open for applications and can support community projects where boroughs are working with grassroots organisations. My Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme will support boroughs to improve green infrastructure as part of broader projects to transform some of London’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods and tackle the climate emergency.
I am also supporting the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for London’s green spaces, enabling boroughs to collaborate, build capacity and improve the management of green spaces. My green finance work is also exploring opportunities for leveraging investment in green spaces.

Air Quality Fund

Leonie Cooper: What are your plans for the Air Quality Fund during this term of your mayoralty?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Air Quality Fund (MAQF) provides invaluable support to boroughs and has enabled a range of innovative projects. including nine Low Emission Neighbourhoods (LENs). LENs have delivered a host of improvements including an estimated 16% reduction in NO2 at the City Fringe LEN and a diesel surcharge on metered parking in the Marylebone LEN. This led to a 16% reduction in polluting vehicles parking with no displacement, and was subsequently rolled out to other areas in Westminster. MAQF has also enabled a range of high-impact pan-London projects to cut engine idling, reduce emissions from construction, and support pedestrainisation schemes and car free streets.
In spite of the challenging financial context at TfL, I have secured the funding for the current round of MAQF (running until March 2022). Subject to sufficient budget being obtained from central Government in December, I plan to support another round of the MAQF in 2022.

Adult Education Budget (2)

Peter Fortune: Can you provide details of any underspends (if any) in the Adult Education Budget in 2019/20 and 2020/21?

The Mayor: The AEB is allocated by Academic Year (August – July each year). From the total budget of £306,444,875 allocated for the 2019/20 Academic Year (AY) (August 2019 to July 2020), approximately 4% of the budget was not spent during this period equating to £11,967,497. This includes £4,663,383 Skills for Londoners (SfL) Innovation funding which was designed to be spent in the 2020/21 AY.
The last half of the academic year 19/20 was significantly affected by the closure of colleges and other training providers due to the pandemic leading to underspends. As a result, £5,754,882 was committed to AEB Procured providers for future years. Note that AEB Procured funding is provided under a four‑year contract with the facility for delivery providers to seek a 10% contract increase against the lifetime of their contract value meaning they can use any underspends in future years of the contract.
Therefore, only £1,549,232 (0.5%) was uncommitted spend during the period which is now carried forward into the current AY and available to support growth requests from training providers.
As the 2020/21 AY is yet to complete, any underspend cannot be provided at this time.

Delay to the Bakerloo Line extension

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the statement by TfL’sChiefFinancialOfficer Simon Kilonback on the 10 March 2021 that “The Bakerloo line extension is something that wewon’tsee in the next decade”, does TfL have any plans to investigate other forms of public transport improvements to serve Southwark, Bromley and other residents in South East London, including tram schemes?

The Mayor: Building upon the Statutory Safeguarding Directions for the Bakerloo line extension (BLE), which were issued earlier this year, I remain committed to the delivery of the BLE when the time is right, and the funding is available. The extension would provide a step change in transport connectivity, accessibility and capacity in south east London, enabling a significant increase in housing in this part of London. Without the extension in place development of new housing in this area of London will be constrained. In the interim, Transport for London will continue to work with the relevant London boroughs to promote supporting transport measures including walking, cycling and bus service enhancements prior to the delivery of the extension.

Use of bus lanes in central London

Caroline Pidgeon: Please set out when you intend to introduce proposals to meet your manifesto commitment for TfL to trial allowing NHS patient transport vehicles and non-blue-light ambulances into bus lanes in central London.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has met with some central London NHS Hospital Trusts to scope and plan for a safe and efficient bus lane access trial. TfL and the Trusts are taking a data-led approach, with Trusts collating fleet and journey time data to help TfL establish a representative area of central London for the trial. TfL is also working closely with the Trusts to establish datasets that will be used to evaluate the benefits and impacts of the trial, and to identify mitigations for any potential adverse impacts on blue light ambulances, bus services and other road users.
I expect the trial to start in Autumn 2021.
It is also relevant to note that, from September 2020, most bus lanes on TfL’s red routes now operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, meaning the restrictions on access into these lanes is always in place. This change was a result of a trial itself and is to support a sustainable recovery from the pandemic and reduces bus congestion and journey reliability.

Enforcement of taxi-dedicated rapid charging points

Caroline Pidgeon: A response to a recent Freedom of Information request to TfL (FOI-0429-2122 A) revealed that only 14 penalty charge notices were issued to vehicles improperly using taxi-dedicated rapid charging points between 03/03/2021 to 30/05/2021 Do you consider this level of enforcement sufficient to address the widespread problem of taxi-dedicated rapid charging points being misused?

The Mayor: Further to my responses to Mayor’s Questions 2021/1414 and 2021/1416, Transport for London (TfL) has increased enforcement by TfL Operations Officers and Police Community Support Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Roads and Transport Policing Command. Where intelligence and feedback shows a high level of misuse at particular taxi-dedicated rapid charge point (RCP) locations by other vehicles, TfL increases patrols at these locations.
It is important to note that, if the driver is in the vehicle, they may drive off from the bay if they see an officer attending, in which case it is not possible to issue a PCN.

Adult Education Budget (1)

Peter Fortune: Can you please provide an update to MQ 2020/4013, to include whole-year Adult Education Budget spend for 2020/21?

The Mayor: AEB allocations are given to delivery providers by Academic Year (August – July each year). The total 2020/21 Academic Year (AY) AEB allocation is £337,056,037 comprising the main £318,580,139 funding, an additional £12,943,836 to fund delivery of high value courses and sector-based work academies and £5,532,062 to fund the Level 3 Adult Offer as part of HM Government’s National Skills Fund (NSF). The AY covers part of 2020/21 (August to March) and 2021/22 (April to July) Financial Years (FY). The total 2020/21 FY budget is £327,377,495 covering part of the 2019/20 and 2020/21 Academic Years.
Considering that the 2020/21 AY is yet to complete, the whole AY spend is not finalised. However, the total 2020/21 FY spend which covers part of 2019/20 Academic Year delivery was £315,029,156.

ULEZ expansion

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide an update on the upcoming ULEZ expansion. When will initial air quality modelling of the impact of the ULEZ expansion be conducted?

The Mayor: Londoners are switching to cleaner vehicles ahead of the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) scheme to inner London in October. Already, around 80 per cent of vehicles in the expanded zone meet the ULEZ standards, bringing air quality benefits across the city before the scheme comes into full operation this October.
As I did with the central London ULEZ, I plan to publish regular reports evaluating the impacts of ULEZ expansion. Early reports will focus on monitored changes in vehicle numbers and compliance with the ULEZ emission standards. Transport for London officers will undertake air quality emissions modelling, and review what the air quality monitoring data shows, once there is enough data available to separate out the impact of the scheme on air quality changes.

Large Enterprises and Tax

Neil Garratt: What research have you undertaken to investigate the impacts and contributions of large enterprises on London’s tax system?

The Mayor: The GLA has not undertaken research on this topic. As highlighted in the response to MQ 2021-2864, large enterprises are major contributors to the UK economy in terms of turnover (40 per cent of total for London businesses) and employment (47% per cent of total). They therefore make a significant contribution to the Exchequer both directly and indirectly, through the people they employ. London’s net Exchequer contribution was £36.1bn in 2019/2020.

OPDC estate charges

Siân Berry: Looking ahead to the long-term management of OPDC what decisions have been made regarding estate management and charges, and have alternative options for managing the estate such as Tenant Management Organisations been considered?

The Mayor: OPDC will explore and agree these details as plans develop and they prepare and submit planning applications. As part of this process they will explore a range of options for estate management and charges, learning from best practice examples, and will consider options including Tenant Management Organisations.

Footfall in Central London

Hina Bokhari: What assessment has been made of the footfall in central London and whether this is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels?

The Mayor: The City Intelligence Unit is producing fortnightly performance reports on activity in the Central Activity Zone1 (CAZ), which includes analysis on the numbers of visitors and workers using anonymised and aggregated mobile device data2. This analysis supports the capital’s biggest ever domestic tourism campaign, Let’s Do London, which is helping kick-start London’s economy as COVID restrictions are eased.
The latest data (26 June – 2 July) shows the number of day-time visitors to the CAZ is around 60% of normal levels, and the number of workers in the CAZ is around 30% of normal levels3.
The City Intelligence Unit will continue monitoring and analysing the activity in the CAZ and report when there are signs of returning to normal.
1Please see attachment one: Map of Central Activity Zone boundary
2Private dataset only shared with London and Partners on the London DataStore
3Please see attachment two: Chart of weekly people counts in the Central Activity Zone compared to normal

The Mayor: 2716 attachment 1.pdf


  2716 attachment 2.pdf

Road Pricing

Keith Prince: Will you rule out introducing road pricing during this Mayoral term?

The Mayor: Road pricing has been in place in London in the form of the Congestion Charge since 2003, delivering benefits for Londoners and visitors who have to drive in central London, as well as to everyone who walks, cycles or uses public transport in the zone.
My approach to potential new road user charging schemes is set out clearly in my Transport Strategy, which states that TfL is to keep the Congestion Charge and other road user charges under review.
I have done precisely that over the last 5 years – for example, removing the congestion charge exemption for private hire drivers, introducing the central London ULEZ in 2019 and making temporary changes to the congestion charge when required to do so by Government last year.
Over the last five years, I have been proud to take bold measures to combat poor air quality – and this has included a need to charge drivers of more polluting vehicles.
Following the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in central London in 2019 and enforcing tougher Low Emission Zone standards for heavy vehicles in March 2021, TfL is now preparing for the expansion of the ULEZ to the North and South Circular roads in October.
The expanded ULEZ will bring huge air quality benefits to a much wider area of London – because the benefits of the ULEZ are too important to limit to central London alone.

London Power

Emma Best: How many London Power customers do you aim to have by 2022?

The Mayor: We would like as many Londoners as possible to benefit from London Power, but we have not set specific targets. We report on our customer uptake on a quarterly basis.

PrEP Access and Provision

Emma Best: Data from the NHS England Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Impact Trial showed only 4% of participants were not gay and bisexual men; that is despite heterosexual people accounting for nearly half of new HIV diagnoses. Through your health inequalities work, what are you doing to raise awareness and support increased access to PrEP provision in all communities across London, but especially Black African communities, women, trans people and migrants, where awareness is currently lowest?

The Mayor: In my manifestoI committed to fight for PrEP to continue to be available free on the NHS to everyone who wants it. I am delighted that the rollout of routine commissioning of PrEP has been successful across London. I agree that it is now a good time to focus on improving access for those communities where access and awareness is lowest. I will be working closely with the London Fast Track Cities Initiative (FTCI) Partnership Group over the coming months to determine the best ways of supporting this.

Support for Large Enterprises

Neil Garratt: How many large enterprises have you directly supported or worked with since 2016? Please also specify the figure since the start of the pandemic.

The Mayor: My promotional agency, London & Partners, works tirelessly to promote trade and investment through a variety of programmes, and works closely with many large businesses as partners and clients. Together they have supported 6,370 of the capital’s businesses and engaged with a further 7,000 through events and workshops.
I continue to take advice from businesses representatives, entrepreneurs and CEOs of larger businesses about my policies and business support programmes through groups, such as my Business Advisory Board, the London Covid Business Forum, LEAP and Skills for Londoners Business Partnership. Please see my response to MQ 2020/3679 for more details of my engagement with businesses and business representative groups since the start pandemic.
During the pandemic my London Business Hub has been supporting businesses of all sizes through a range of programmes including Pay It Forward London, my Back to Business Fund and Covid 19 Recovery Grants.

Mayor's International Business Programme KPIs

Shaun Bailey: What KPIs will you be using to measure the performance of the Mayor’s International Business Programme? Please specify what these are.

The Mayor: The performance of the Mayor’s International Business Programme is measured through the additional economic benefit measure of Gross Value Added ‘GVA,’ one of the KPIs with which the GLA monitors London & Partners’ performance. The programme has generated £97 million of GVA since 2016.

Mayor's International Business Programme Aims

Shaun Bailey: How many businesses are you aiming to have signed up to the Mayor’s International Business programme?

The Mayor: It is expected that a further 100 companies will sign up to the programme this financial year. This will be in addition to the 1097 companies that have taken part since 2016, generating £97 million in economic benefit for London.

Green Infrastructure for London’s Councils (2)

Leonie Cooper: What funding opportunities are you planning for London’s boroughs to improve their green infrastructure through expanding or enhancing green spaces, increasing tree planting and other projects?

The Mayor: Please see the response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3096.

Festival of Idea Targets

Shaun Bailey: What do you hope to achieve through the Festival of Ideas and what targets have you set for its performance?

The Mayor: The Festival of Ideas invites communities across London to contribute to a city-wide conversation that helps us understand how to create a better London, one that’s more equal, more connected and where everyone can take part. The Festival of Ideas is an engagement programme that creates an opportunity to explore individual and collective visions and plans for strong communities in London. Its aim is to mobilise communities across London under the Building Strong Communities mission in order to develop a bottom up partnership approach to the action plan.
The festival partnership has been ambitious in its performance targets, aiming to have over 80 events take place as part of the festival, with 1 event in every Borough and engage over 3000 people across the festival period.
Over 140 events have been approved as part of the festival with 25 boroughs having confirmed activities taking place in them. A further 55 events are taking place at a pan-London level or online for all Londoners to participate in. Furthermore, the Building Strong Communities Talk London page which is hosting a festival discussion has attracted 7000 unique views. Final numbers of Londoners engaged through the programme will be available in September 2021.

Festival of Ideas Funding

Shaun Bailey: How much funding have you allocated to the Festival of Ideas and from which budget?

The Mayor: £30,000 has been allocated from the budget for the Building Strong Communities Mission budget for the organisation and delivery of the Festival of Ideas.
£15,000 has been used for the direct delivery of the festival, including event costs such as British Sign Language for interpreters, design materials, marketing and commission the outputs from the festival.
The additional £15,000 was allocated to the access grant funding programme giving organisations the ability to participate. City Bridge Trust contributed a further £15,000, bringing the access grant pot total to £30,000, allowing 60 organisations to receive up to £500 in access grants to deliver their event as part of the festival programme.

Homebase Manor Road planning application in Richmond

Nicholas Rogers: Further to question 2021/2382, please give an update on the progress the GLA planning team has made reviewing the Manor Road Homebase application. Please give an indication of when a decision can be expected.

The Mayor: GLA officers have been continuing to review the implications of the policy changes on the Manor Road application following the adoption of the new London Plan, and discussions are still ongoing. I am unable to confirm at this stage when a decision can be expected.

Apprenticeship Record

Neil Garratt: How many apprenticeships did you create in your first term as Mayor and at what cost? Please give a breakdown by project.

The Mayor: I have no specific powers over apprenticeships or levers over the apprenticeship Levy, but have worked to champion them and find innovative ways of supporting London’s businesses to offer more apprenticeships.
An example of this is the London Progression Collaboration (LPC) pilot. Its Reskilling the Recovery Campaign has raised £6.8m of unspent apprenticeship levy from large employers which is being drawn down by smaller employers to create new apprenticeships and upskill their workforces. Despite the ongoing difficulties of recruiting apprentices due to the pandemic, the LPC created 375 apprenticeships last term and is expected to deliver a minimum of 1098 starts by the end of the pilot. The GLA committed £350,000 to the pilot, with JP Morgan committing a further £700,000.
We also directly employed 95 apprentices within the GLA over my first term. All GLA apprentices are paid at least London Living Wage (currently £20,875). The above does not include the apprenticeships created within the wider GLA Group and its supply chains.

London Festival of Ideas

Len Duvall: How many proposals did you receive from individuals or organisations looking to host events as part of the London Festival of Ideas?

The Mayor: The Festival Partnership reviewed 220 event submissions from civil society organisations and individuals to participate in the London Festival of Ideas.
From that we approved 60 access grants of up to £500 for organisations to lead events as part of the Festival. An additional 80 events/activities that did not seek funding have also been approved by the partnership panel. In addition to these 140 activities, we have 10 events being hosted directly by Festival partner organisations.

Refugees and homelessness (2)

Siân Berry: Could you provide me with information regarding what assessment you have made of the housing need of refugees in London?

The Mayor: As of 31 March 2021 there were 4,868 people seeking asylum who were accommodated by the Home Office in dispersed accommodation in London. These individuals will no longer be eligible for asylum accommodation and support if they receive refugee status and will have 28 days to move on. Access to social housing for newly recognised refugees is extremely limited because the need for social housing far exceeds supply. Through convening the London Asylum Group, GLA officials continue to seek solutions to the housing needs of refugees in London.
My team has also looked at access to housing to support refugee resettlement. The lack of affordable homes for new arrivals has been a major challenge to London's participation in national resettlement schemes. There is a need for more sustainable access to accommodation for refugee resettlement, alongside reviewing the benefit cap and Local Housing Allowance rates to ensure they take into account the true costs of rents in London.

Access to the furlough scheme

Len Duvall: Following reports that people self-isolating could be eligible to be furloughed (https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/politico-london-playb...), will you consider encouraging businesses in London that do not offer sick pay to make use of the furlough scheme in these circumstances?

The Mayor: I share your concern that the Government has not made thisprovisionof the furlough scheme clear. It does notseem to have been appropriately communicated to employers, advice services and workers who are trying to do the right thing tohelpprevent the spread of COVID-19.
Many Londoners are dependent on Statutory Sick Payif told to self-isolate, which is insufficient to meet living costs in London. While the Government has introduced the Test and Trace SupportPayment, I have called for this payment to be higher. The Government should review its approach to ensure no-one is prevented from following advice because of financial necessity.
My Employment Rights Hub includes information for Londoners who need to self-isolate.

Machinery for collecting digital evidence

Len Duvall: Please advise how many machines (such as Aceso, XRY or similar) the Met currently has through which it can collect evidence from digital items such as smartphones. Please advise what the increase in number of these machines has been over the last 3 years.

The Mayor: The MPS has 93 operational kiosks located in 39 networked police buildings. These kiosks service all investigative units across the MPS and are classed as a generic tool to enable simple (logical) extractions to be carried out by police officers. This service delivery model has evolved since July 2018 when there were 86 kiosks, none of which were networked.
Plans are in place to increase kiosk numbers to 109 by the end of the year.

LFB

Nicholas Rogers: Please could the Mayor provide the number of river deployments by the LFB in South West London since 2016 and what the incidents were, broken down by borough and year?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade fireboat attendance to incidents in the South West London area is presented in the table below:
Borough
Incident Type
Incident Details
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
*2021
Hammersmith and Fulham
False alarm
False alarm - Good intent
1
Fire
Primary Fire
1
Special Service
Assistance to other agencies
1
Person in river, canal or other waterway
2
Person on bank side, partly in water
1
Road traffic collision - Make scene safe
1
Service not required
1
1
Threat of/attempted suicide
1
1
Transport incident (not RTC) - Advice only
1
Water Leak Within Building - Pumping Out
1
Hounslow
Special Service
Person in river, canal or other waterway
1
Kensington and Chelsea
False alarm
False alarm - Good intent
1
2
Fire
Primary Fire
1
Special Service
Assistance to other agencies
2
1
1
Making safe (not RTC) - Other action
1
Person in river, canal or other waterway
1
3
1
Person on bank side, partly in water
1
1
Person stranded surrounded by water
2
Rescue/Release of persons - From height
1
Service not required
1
2
1
Threat of/attempted suicide
1
1
2
1
1
Transport incident (not RTC) - Make vehicle safe
1
Water Leak Within Building - Make Safe/Isolate Supply
1
1
Water Leak Within Building - Other Action
1
Water Leak Within Building - Pumping Out
2
Weather Related Flooding - Pumping Out
1
Lambeth
False alarm
False alarm - Good intent
2
1
1
Fire
Primary Fire
1
Special Service
Advice given only
1
Animal rescue from water - Domestic pet
1
Assistance to other agencies
5
1
2
7
3
2
Making safe (not RTC) - Removal/retrieval of object
1
Making safe (not RTC) – Stabilise/make safe unsafe structure
1
Medical incident - Lift person
1
Other assistance to police/ambulance
1
1
2
1
1
Person in river, canal or other waterway
3
1
1
2
3
2
Person in sinking or otherwise unsound vessel
2
1
1
1
Person on bank side, partly in water
2
1
1
2
Person stranded surrounded by water
1
Person trapped by water - Other action
2
1
Rescue of persons from water - Other action
1
1
Service not required
7
4
2
5
1
1
Suicide
1
Threat of/attempted suicide
11
14
11
7
11
10
Transport incident - Standby - no action
1
Transport incident (not RTC) - Make vehicle safe
3
1
Transport incident (not RTC) - Other action
1
1
Transport-related incident - Medical assistance provided only
1
Richmond upon Thames
Fire
Primary Fire
1
1
Special Service
Animal harm involving wild animal
1
Animal rescue from water - Domestic pet
1
Assistance to other agencies
1
Threat of/attempted suicide
1
Wild animal rescue from water or mud
1
Wandsworth
False alarm
False alarm - Good intent
1
2
2
1
Fire
Primary Fire
2
1
4
2
1
Special Service
Animal assistance involving domestic animal - Other action
1
Animal rescue from water - Domestic pet
1
Assistance to other agencies
2
Making safe (not RTC) - Other action
1
Making safe (not RTC) – Stabilise/make safe unsafe structure
1
1
Person assisted from dwelling surrounded by water
1
Person in river, canal or other waterway
1
1
Person in sinking or otherwise unsound vessel
1
Person on bank side, partly in water
2
Rescue of persons from water - Other action
1
Rescue/Release of persons - From mud
1
Service not required
2
1
Threat of/attempted suicide
1
3
1
2
Transport incident - Standby - no action
1
Water Leak within Building - Standby Only
1
Westminster
False alarm
False alarm - Good intent
1
1
1
1
1
False alarm - Malicious
1
Fire
Primary Fire
2
1
Special Service
Advice given only
1
Assistance to other agencies
3
7
4
2
2
2
Making safe (not RTC) - Other action
1
Making safe (not RTC) - Removal/retrieval of dead body
1
1
2
Medical incident - No action required by Brigade
1
Other assistance to police/ambulance
1
4
1
1
Person in industrial or manmade water feature
1
Person in lake, sea or estuary
2
Person in river, canal or other waterway
1
3
1
3
2
1
Person in sinking or otherwise unsound vessel
2
1
Person on bank side, partly in water
1
1
1
Person stranded surrounded by water
1
Rescue/Release of person - Other action
1
Rescue/Release of persons - From height
1
Rescue/Release of persons - From mud
1
Road traffic collision - Persons released
1
Service not required
5
5
3
4
Suicide
1
Threat of/attempted suicide
11
4
12
3
6
2
Transport incident (not RTC) - Other action
1
Transport-related incident - Make scene safe
1
Transport-related incident - Medical assistance provided only
1
Water Leak Within Building - Pumping Out
1
Weather Related Flooding - Pumping Out
1
Grand Total
76
75
63
67
65
41
* as of 6 July 2021

Refugees and homelessness (6)

Siân Berry: How are you working with refugee community organisations and others with lived experience to inform your policy and support for refugees in London?

The Mayor: The GLA convenes the Migrant and Refugee Advisory Panel (MRAP), which seeks to represent the diversity of London’s migrant and refugee communities, and the issues that affect them. MRAP operates as an expert panel to advise the work of the London Strategic Migration Partnership (LSMP) and the wider work of the GLA on issues related to migration, asylum and refugees.
GLA officials have also sought ways to ensure the voice of lived experience is able to influence our work. Earlier this year the GLA commissioned research which included proposals for the inclusion of people seeking asylum in decision making in London. My new Asylum Welcome programme will help local authorities to ensure service design is being shaped by lived experience.

Refugees and homelessness (5)

Siân Berry: On 24 March 2021, the Government published its New Plan for Immigration. What response have you made to it and what work are you doing to mitigate against some of its proposals, such as the new ‘temporary protection status’ that refugee organisations are concerned will create a new group of insecure refugees, with limited leave, who would not be able to plan for their futures or reduce the ability for people to claim asylum?

The Mayor: The GLA submitted a detailed response to the consultation on the New Plan for Immigration, raising concerns that the policy proposals will cause hardship amongst people seeking asylum, increase the risk of destitution for newly recognised refugees and put pressure on local services.
My Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Debbie Weekes-Bernard also chaired a discussion on the New Plan for Immigration at the London Strategic Migration Partnership. I will continue to lobby the Government on these policies, including through the Nationality and Borders Bill which will bring some of the proposals into law.
I will shortly launch an Asylum Welcome programme in partnership with London boroughs to address some of the strategic gaps in the capital to support people seeking asylum, building better pathways into services and embedding a welcoming approach to new arrivals.

Climate Change and C40 (1)

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on your climate change work with the C40 since July 2020.

The Mayor: C40 Cities is an important global network for London, allowing us to amplify the role for cities in tackling the climate, nature and air quality crises and sharing best practice. As a founder of C40, London continues to play a vital role leading several areas of work in addition to its role on the steering committee and C40 Board.
London continues to co-chair the Divest/Invest forum with New York City. In the last year, the Forum has held two workshops aimed at supporting cities looking to divest. In September 2020, we led an announcement of 12 cities committed to divestment and published a toolkit to support cities in doing so.
I have also been active in supporting the role for cities in recovering from the pandemic, most recently in urging the G20 to invest in a green and just recovery, vaccine equity and climate action ahead of the G20 summit and COP26. In March I co-hosted a meeting of European C40 cities in the role as European Vice Chair along with Mayor Sala of Milan to discuss strategies for ensuring a green new deal. London also continues to lead the Air Quality network and is a peer city in the Inclusive Action Forum.

Climate Change and C40 (2)

Leonie Cooper: As levels of emissions by the G7 countries reduce and are overtaken by countries outside the G7, how can the C40 offer an opportunity to improve climate commitments from major cities?

The Mayor: Whilst it is true that total carbon emissions from the G7 have been reducing, the per capita emissions still remain high against international comparisons. I have set an ambitious target for London to be net zero by 2030, and C40 Cities are encouraging other major cities to set their own net zero targets ahead of the COP26 in November. C40 remains an important global network for London, and we continue to play vital role leading several areas of work. C40’s 97 member cities account for a population of 700 million globally. The C40 leadership standards for 2021-24 require all members to commitments around planning, delivery, mainstreaming, innovation and leadership which set the bar high in terms of climate action
C40 cities are also jointly leading the Cities Race to Zero pledge, which London signed up to in 2020, encouraging 1,000 cities around the world to deliver inclusive and resilient climate action for a zero carbon transition and green and just COVID-19 recovery.

Staff Sickness and Operational Resilience

Anne Clarke: How have above-target levels of staff sickness impacted upon LFB operational resilience in 2020/21?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has seen higher than usual levels of unplanned staff absence throughout 2020/21, largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout this time LFB has maintained operational resilience in line with the response targets set within LFB’s current Integrated Risk Management Plan. This was achieved through use of pre-arranged overtime or personnel and appliance movements to maintain a balanced level of operational cover.

Fire Survival Guidance Technology Solution

Anne Clarke: Have the internal infrastructure issues that held up delivery been resolved and when is delivery expected?

The Mayor: The major infrastructure issues reported late last year that impacted upon the project’s delivery date were successfully resolved early this year. The Fire Survival Guidance product is complete and London Fire Brigade aims to complete training activities in September 2021, in anticipation of rollout shortly afterwards.

8 Albert Embankment (2)

Anne Clarke: As the LFB faces Government cuts to its budget, allied with a rising workload as a result of the building safety scandal, how important is it that redevelopment projects for all LFB sites provide good value for money?

The Mayor: It is extremely important that the disposal, including the redevelopment of assets, satisfies London Fire Brigade’s legal requirement to obtain best consideration on the disposal of its assets as required by Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972.The Brigade ensures value for money through benchmarking or collaborative arrangements to award efficient and effective contracts providing goods or services which support redevelopment projects.

Violence Reduction Unit (5)

Sem Moema: How does the relationship between the Violence Reduction Unit and the MPS’s Violence Suppression Units work?

The Mayor: London’s Violence Reduction Unit became operational in March 2019 and takes a public health approach to reduce violence, recognising that it is necessary to address the underlying causes of violence, to have long-term impact.
The MPS Violence Suppression Units were established in May 2020 and are part of each of London’s 12 Basic Command Units. Made up of local officers who are solely based in their geographic area, they are alive to specific issues and able to build local relationships. They identify and target the most immediate serious offenders and locations, through a range of policing enforcement tactics.
The VRU works closely with the MPS and their lead officer for violence reduction. This officer oversees the MPS Violent Crime Task Force, which supports the local VSUs. The VRU provides coordination between the MPS and other partners we are working with, including all 32 local authorities, probation and health.

Violence Reduction Unit (4)

Sem Moema: How successful is the London VRU model compared to its counterparts across the UK?

The Mayor: The London VRU is based on partnership and collaboration and to that end we have forged a strong relationship with the other 17 VRUs across England and Wales. We share expertise and practice so that we can more effectively and collectively reduce violence and support stronger communities.
In July 2021, the 18 UK VRUs convened our first conference on preventing serious violence and we hold regular informal network meetings.
We have all benefitted from the insight and guidance offered by the Scottish VRU which has been in place for a considerably longer time and has been instrumental in reducing the levels of violence in Scotland over the last decade.

Violence Suppression Units (1)

Sem Moema: How are VSUs working to improve relations with the communities they are operating within?

The Mayor: One area of focus for the VSUs is to try to build bridges with local communities.
For example, in Croydon, police took part in training sessions to develop relationships and learn more about their local area. Other teams have gone out on patrol with a young people's action group to improve their awareness.
As VSU police officers are dedicated to specific areas, this gives them a greater knowledge of the places and people in those areas. In each BCU VSU’s use local knowledge for problem solving, offender management and proactive operations to disrupt violent activity.

Violence Reduction Unit (1)

Sem Moema: Please provide a list of services funded across London by the Violence Reduction Unit.

The Mayor: In the VRU’s first 18 months of operation investment has been targeted towards priority intervention programmes including:
A list of published VRU decisions can be found here https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/mayors-office-policing-and-crime-mopac/governance-and-decision-making/mopac-decisions-0?order=DESC

Violence Reduction Unit (3)

Sem Moema: For how long is the Violence Reduction Unit funded?

The Mayor: Keeping Londoners safe remains a top mayoral priority. As we enter 2021-2022, the Mayor, along with other funding via the Home Office, has invested more than ever into violence reduction initiatives. The increased mayoral funding made available for the VRU is a vital resource in enabling a committed long-term approach to reducing violence.
The current year (2021-22) total budget amounts to £23.3m, of which £7m is Home Office funding, £0.75m GLA grant funding to deliver the MyEnds project and £16.3m Mayoral funding (which includes Mayoral Growth funding, Council Tax Precept, London Crime Prevention Funding (LCPF) and on-going core funding).
In addition, the VRU has £7m in reserves from Mayoral growth funding. This reserve will support future years budgets alongside a forecasted annual £5m Mayoral core and £1.6m LCPF Mayoral funding. Home Office funding is not guaranteed past 2021-2022 funding agreements.

Violence Reduction Unit (2)

Sem Moema: What assessments are used to gauge the effectiveness of the Unit?

The Mayor: The VRU draws on a variety of interconnected approaches to explore effectiveness and impact in the short, medium and long term. Work is continuing to ensure monitoring & evaluation processes are embedded into the commissioning process, with tools and training in place. These elements form a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning plan, creating a strategic resource, standard bearer and information repository, including:
The VRU continues to contribute to the national performance measures and the Home Office VRU process and impact evaluations, which aims to collect information about outcomes, local evaluations of VRUs, and other evidence produced locally by VRUs.

Adult Education Budget (3)

Peter Fortune: Can you provide details of any carry-forwards or accruals (if any) in the Adult Education Budget in 2019/20 and 2020/21?

The Mayor: The AEB is allocated by Academic Year (August – July each year). From the total budget of £306,444,875 allocated for the 2019/20 Academic Year (August 2019 to July 2020), approximately 4% of the budget was not spent during this period equating to £11,967,497.
The last half of the academic year 2019/20 was significantly affected by the closure of colleges and other training providers due to the pandemic leading to underspends. As a result, the total unallocated funds were carried forward into the 2020/21 Academic Year. A detailed financial breakdown of the AEB, including the carry forward, was presented to the AEB Mayoral Board on 7 June 2021 and the report is published on the GLA website.
As the 2020/21 AY is yet to complete, the AY total underspend cannot be provided at this time.

Adult Education Budget (4)

Peter Fortune: Can you provide a list of all currently allocated Adult Education Budget institutions/projects and relative allocations/spend for 2021/22?

The Mayor: Allocations are provided to delivery providers by Academic Year. Providers are currently in the process of signing grant agreements for 2021/22 and until this process is finalised, allocations are subject to change. The final allocations for 2021/22 will not be published until September 2021.

Climate Change Committee advice on road building

Siân Berry: In its June 2021 progress report and recommendations to Parliament, the Climate Change Committee has added a new recommendation to the Department for Transport, saying: “Decisions on investment in roads should be contingent on analysis justifying how they contribute to the UK’s pathway to Net Zero. This analysis should demonstrate that the proposals would not lead to increases in overall emissions.” Will you take note of this advice and pause and review the Silvertown Road Tunnel project? And if not, why not?

The Mayor: I welcome the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee, but I don’t believe this suggests any need to pause or review the Silvertown Tunnel scheme. Significant review of the scheme has already taken place and I remain confident it is the right solution to the chronic issues of congestion, poor reliability and a lack of resilience at the Blackwall Tunnel.
As part of my review of the scheme, I challenged Transport for London (TfL) on these issues. TfL has repeatedly explained how the combination of the new tunnel, a flexible user charge and a comprehensive new cross-river bus network will help to manage traffic levels and ensure there are no increases in overall emissions from traffic. I remain confident in these conclusions and am reassured by TfL’s plans for further monitoring to ensure the Silvertown Tunnel delivers the right outcomes for Londoners, as an integral part of my wider plans for the city.

MOPAC Funds (5)

Sem Moema: MOPAC has been allocated £716,787 for sexual violence support services and £1,377,081 for domestic abuse support services by the Ministry of Justice. How is this money being used?

The Mayor: MOPAC has awarded 26 grants to support services following an open application process. Full details of the awards, including provider names and grant amounts will be published on MOPAC’s website in August 2021.
The sexual violence allocation has funded four Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA) and increased counselling provision in London’s core sexual violence support services. The domestic abuse (DA) allocation has funded 16 Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA), increased the number of DA Caseworkers, bolstered DA helpline capacity and will also increase post-refuge resettlement support and therapeutic provision.

Violence victims age profiles

Unmesh Desai: Please provide the age profile of victims of violence against the person in each of the last 5 years.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 3151_Violence victims age profiles_v2.xlsx

MET awareness regarding learning disabilities

Krupesh Hirani: Can you provide details of what training is being provided to the Metropolitan Police Service to be more aware of the needs of people with learning disabilities?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) training programmes are aligned to the National Police Curriculum and Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) and are externally accredited.
This training includes raising awareness of and engaging those with learning disabilities or other vulnerable individuals in an operational policing context. Officers are taught to utilise the Vulnerability Assessment Framework when interacting with any member of the public.
The framework assesses five key components, which include the individual’s appearance, behaviour, capacity for communication, whether they pose a danger to themselves or others, and the nature of the event that has caused police contact. Officers are expected to address any concerns accordingly, whether this is the immediate provision of medical or other assistance, or referral to support agencies
In addition, officers up to the rank of Superintendent, complete regular public and personal safety training sessions. These include scenario discussions and role-plays to help align theory with practical experience.

Indian Premier League Cricket in London

Krupesh Hirani: What progress has the Mayor made in his quest to bring Indian Premier League Cricket matches to London?

The Mayor: Bringing the IPL to London is a huge ambition of mine and one I am keen to pick up as soon as possible. Having seen the success of sports such as the NFL and MLB; I believe cricket is the next step in harnessing the power of franchise sports in London. As soon as is viable, I will bring cricket stakeholders from across London together to draft a realistic roadmap for making this happen.

Global sporting events in London

Krupesh Hirani: Following the Euro 2020 tournament, is the Mayor considering supporting future bids for other major global sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup?

The Mayor: Following the success of EURO 2020 in London, I am more enthusiastic and willing than ever to bring further major global sporting events to London.
A FIFA World Cup in this country would be a wonderful thing. Having seen how EURO 2020 has brought the nation together at a time when we needed it most, I would love for London to be central to the delivery of a World Cup in this country. I understand that the UK Government and FA colleagues are working on the feasibility of a bid, and London stands ready to work with them when required.

Young People and the LFB (2)

Anne Clarke: With a fall in the number of young people educated on fire and other emergencies over the last three quarters, what plans does the Brigade have in place to make sure that no young person falls between the gaps and misses out because of the pressures of the pandemic?

The Mayor: The Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Scheme (JFIS), Education Team and Safety First provided virtual workshops to primary and secondary schools during COVID-19 to ensure that essential fire safety education continued to be delivered. These sessions worked well and virtual sessions will continue to be offered as well as face-to-face delivery. In addition, every London borough now has a Fire Cadets unit, which provides education on fire, road and water safety, in addition to career progression opportunities.
Since 8 March 2021, when restrictions eased for schools London Fire Brigade’s Education Team have reached the following numbers of schools/pupils.
8 March 2021 –
7 July 2021
Number of Primary Schools visited
Number of workshops
workshops
Number of pupils educated
Pan-London
212
740
22,380

Community Safety and LFB (1)

Anne Clarke: With the number of Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) understandably falling during the pandemic, how will the Brigade be working to ensure that the fire prevention work that underpins these visits is increased as we move into a recovery phase?

The Mayor: The number of Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) was lower during the pandemic than the pre-lockdown period, however 24,249 were delivered to the most vulnerable people in London and 75 per cent of these visits identified a disability that could affect fire survival. Telephone advice was provided to residents who were unable to receive a visit and over 1,000 telephone calls were made to residents who had previously received a Fire Safe and Well visit, to offer fire safety advice.
Updated messaging on HFSVs and fire safety advice is available via London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) website, which was also shared with key partners. In 2020 LFB launched a “Lockdown to-do list” and a new virtual Hazard House, with both activities enabling members of the public to understand potential fire risks in their homes. A new Fire Safety Checker was launched in May 2021, which allows people to carry out a virtual online assessment of fire risk in their homes.

LFB Culture Change Review

Anne Clarke: When do you expect the Culture Change Review to report back to the Brigade?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) Directors have held detailed discussions with my Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience on the appointment of a Chair of the Culture Review, and have put together a proposal detailing the attributes and experience that LFB would be looking for in an independent Chair. The Chair is expected to be appointed by the end of August 2021 and it is anticipated that the final report will be completed within twelve months after they have been appointed, this is subject to discussion with the Chair.

London’s Risk Register (3)

Anne Clarke: How have attacks on publicly accessible locations changed since 2017?

The Mayor: The pattern of attack targets in London could be seen as having broadened. This includes the attacks on Fishmongers’ Hall and Streatham High Road, which were attacks perpetrated by self-initiated terrorists and, rather than targeting ‘iconic locations’, both took place in publicly accessible locations. Government policy has moved on from ‘Crowded Places’ and they have announced their intention to introduce a Protect Duty, which will apply to publicly accessible locations above a defined threshold. The formal consultation exercise for the Duty has just concluded and both the MPS and I will continue to support its timely introduction.
The threat from terrorism, attack methodologies and locations are kept under constant review by Joint Terrorism Analysis Center, the police and CT agencies who adjust their approach accordingly.
I will also continue to work closely with the police, security partners and communities to tackle this threat and commission an update of the Harris Review into London's Preparedness to Respond to a Major Terrorist Incident.

London’s Risk Register (2)

Anne Clarke: Severe Drought is listed as a high risk on London’s Risk Register and was due to be reviewed in February 2020. Has this review taken place? If not, when will it take place and the register be updated?

The Mayor: Severe Drought continues to be listed as a high risk.Work was delayed during the course of 2020 and a review is being conducted. The result of the revised risk assessment will be updated later in 2021.The assessment will be included in a new edition of the London Risk Register which will be submitted to the London Resilience Forum for approval in February 2022 with a view to it being published later in that month.

Self-employed working conditions

Marina Ahmad: How will you support London’s self-employed workers in your second term?

The Mayor: Many self-employed workers continue to experience low pay and poor employment conditions. GLA and Centre for London research showed how self-employed Londoners were particularly adversely affected by the pandemic and gaps in the government’s income support schemes and identified recommendations on how to support them. Long-term intervention by government will be required to support these workers in our recovery from the pandemic.
I will develop charters for good work and best practice for both gig economy workers and freelancers in the creative industries. Self-employed Londoners may also find resources on my Employment Rights Hub useful to help identify their status and employment rights.

Violence Suppression Units (11)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of weapon sweeps undertaken by violence suppression units since their launch.

The Mayor: Please find attached a break down of weapon sweeps since August 2020 and a total since the launch in May 2020 until April 2021.

The Mayor: 3196.pdf

Violence Suppression Units (12)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of weapon sweeps in every London borough undertaken by violent suppression units since their launch.

The Mayor: Due to system limitations, it is not possible to provide the data you have requested.

Violence Suppression Units (9)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of firearms seized by violence suppression units for every month since their launch.

The Mayor: Please find attached breakdown of firearms sized since August 2020 and a total since the launch in May 2020 until April 2021. Before August 2020 data was collated in various formats which means it is not possible to provide a monthly breakdown, only an overall total.

The Mayor: 3194.pdf

Violence Suppression Units (10)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of firearms seized in every London borough, by month, since violent suppression units were launched.

The Mayor: Due to system limitations, it is not possible to provide the data you have requested.

Health professionals in schools and colleges governing bodies

Caroline Russell: Your manifesto promised that you would: “work with partners to encourage every school and college governing body to include a health professional.” Has this work begun?

The Mayor: This is currently in the scoping phase and work will be undertaken with local authorities, the NHS and other partners to investigate how health professionals can be recruited easily to schools’ governing bodies including identifying enablers and barriers. The pledge will build on the successful relationships we have established through my Healthy Schools London programme and other school-based initiatives. It will also look to maximise the opportunities of work with the NHS as anchor institutions, who can encourage their staff to play leadership roles in communities and can support building relationships and trust with local communities and other organisations.

GLA planning process (3)

Nicholas Rogers: Do high rise blocks and high-density developments belong in areas with poor public transport?

The Mayor: The principles of Good Growth are at the heart of the London Plan. As highlighted in Objective GG2 this includes an emphasis on utilising and intensifying sites which are well-connected by existing or planned public transport. Policies D2 and D3 stipulate that the density of development proposals should be linked to the provision of future planned levels of infrastructure rather than existing levels; be proportionate to a site’s connectivity and accessibility, including both PTAL and access to local services; and that higher density developments should generally be promoted in locations that are well connected to jobs, services, infrastructure and amenities by public transport, walking and cycling.
In terms of tall buildings, the London Plan sets out that the approach should be plan led and sustainable, with Policy D9 requiring boroughs to identify locations where tall buildings may be an appropriate form of development. Policy D1 underpins this, setting out that boroughs should undertake area assessments to define the character of different places within the plan area to develop an understanding of the capacity of different areas for growth.

Violence Suppression Units (13)

Sem Moema: Please provide a breakdown of the number of incidents where drugs have been seized by violence suppression units and/or the overall volume of drugs seized, since violence suppression units were introduced.

The Mayor: Not all this data is recorded, however the attached information can be provided in relation to arrest numbers by violence suppression units.

The Mayor: 3198.pdf

Violence Suppression Units (14)

Sem Moema: How do violence suppression units work with other services, such as those provided by the Violence Reduction Unit, to deliver intervention?

The Mayor: The VRU provides a range of diversionary and preventative programmes to support young people, youth workers, parents, communities and local areas. Key partners in the boroughs are the community safety partnerships, which include police. The VRU supports each borough through the delivery of a local violence reduction action plan, funding to reduce violence, as well as for parenting networks, mentoring in PRUs, after school provision and hyper-local initiatives such as the MyEnds programme.
As well as undertaking enforcement through the VSUs, the MPS is involved in a range of diversionary programmes supported by the VRU. The MPS provides a secondee to the VRU who ensures effective co-ordination and has recruited local Prevent and Diversion Police leads to make best use of VRU supported programmes. The VRU also supports MPS diversion by directly funding the DIVERT programme, which provides support and diversionary opportunities to young people in police custody.

Thrive LDN and complex mental illnesses

Onkar Sahota: What work has Thrive LDN done since its creation to specifically address more “complex” mental illnesses – including but not limited to personality disorders, OCD, DID and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia?

The Mayor: Thrive LDN has established strong relationships with organisations that work closely with Londoners with complex mental illnesses, including London’s NHS Mental Health Trusts, their voluntary sector partners and London’s Mental Health Transformation Board network.
Thrive LDN is focused on preventing poor mental health and tackling health inequalities across London to improve the wellbeing of people from intersectional and marginalised communities in London. As such, the programme does not generally get directly involved in acute mental health services or undertake work specifically targeted at those with complex mental health needs. However, Thrive LDN continues to champion parity of esteem between physical and mental health, helping all Londoners to get the right help and support they need.

School Superzones Targets

Emma Best: In response to my question 2021/2317 you advised that targets would be developed over the next few months. Would it therefore be acceptable to suggest we should know the specific targets by the end of 2021?

The Mayor: Yes, it is likely that we will have set targets by the end of 2021 as this work is a priority. However, this will need to be kept under review in light of the substantial ongoing demands of responding to COVID and the difficulties facing local authorities and schools in engaging in the design of Phase 2 of the School Superzones Programme at this time.

Age-Friendly City Targets

Emma Best: After Debbie Weekes-Bernard’s meetings with the London Age-friendly Forum and other older people’s organisations, what targets have been set to make London age-friendly?

The Mayor: The London Recovery Board (LRB) recently agreed to set up a sub-group to drive activity to address structural inequality and identify and track progress against a set of key actions aimed at addressing structural inequalities linked to the disproportionate impact of Covid-19.
We will want to involve a wide range of stakeholders, including older Londoners, in identifying these actions, which will be progressed collectively by LRB partners. My Deputy Mayor, Debbie Weekes-Bernard, and my officers, will be meeting with the London Age-friendly Forum and other older people’s organisations, in due course as part of the development of this work.

Fertility Health Inequality

Emma Best: In response to my question 2021/2320 you failed to acknowledge that London’s fertility treatment is one of our capital’s biggest health inequalities. Do you accept it is a health inequality given your responsibilities surrounding access to health services? Do you plan to do anything to address this specifically over the next three years?

The Mayor: As you are aware I am not responsible or accountable for health and care services, including fertility treatment.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations about pathways of access to IVF treatment funded through the NHS. Individual NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) make the final decision about who can have NHS-funded IVF in their local area, and their criteria may be stricter than those recommended by NICE. While NHS trusts are working to provide the same levels of service, the provision of IVF treatment varies by geography, and depends on local CCG policies. This can create inequity in access to treatment between those living in different places, and this inequity is further exacerbated by the fact that those in higher income groups can pay privately for access to IVF. This inequity reflects CCG funding and policy, rather than the wider determinants of health inequality.
As the five Integrated Care Systems become more established in London, there is an opportunity to harmonise CCG policies over larger geographies. I have no direct responsibility for access to NHS services, but will ask the NHS Regional Director for London to give this his full consideration.

HIV Working Group

Emma Best: In response to my question 2021/2338 you advised a working group is currently being put together to design and then pilot an HIV friendly charter in the NHS. Who is leading the establishment of this working group, who will it consist of and what is the timeline for its establishment?

The Mayor: The Stigma Subgroup is convened by the London Fast Track Cities Initiative (FTCI) Partnership, and is co-chaired by Gary Brough, a community representative on the NHIVNA Executive,London HIV Clinical Forum and London’s Fast-Track Cities Leadership Group, who has personal experience of living with HIV; Steve Worrall, Deputy Director of Positive East, and Kat Smithson, Director of Policy and Communications at National AIDS Trust (NAT). The group is currently approaching and forming a group of NHS stakeholders to inform the NHS stigma project. This NHS group will be formed with governance established by September 2021. The NHS Stigma Charter will be designed over the autumn, with pilot rollouts expected very early in 2022. This project has been delayed due to the immense pressures that have been experienced by NHS staff and institutions over recent months and the need to allow organisations and staff to recover sufficiently before undertaking this activity. In the meantime, the Stigma Subgroup is progressing parallel workstreams to tackle internal stigma and stigma in wider society.

Big Ideas No Barriers

Emma Best: How much funding was awarded to Big Ideas for their No Barriers school engagement project and from which budget?

The Mayor: Big Ideas received £29,950 for their No Barriers school engagement project to run alongside the Men’s Euros tournament in the summer of 2021. The funding came from the Major Events Engagement Fund which is part of the Sport Unites programme.

Work with Women's FA

Emma Best: Please can you expand on the work you are engaged in with the Women’s FA to support their community engagement in London alongside next year’s UEFA Women’s EUROs tournament and expand the reach of football in London’s communities?

The Mayor: My EURO 2022 and Community Sport team are working closely with The FA to discuss community engagement plans; the WEURO 2022 Legacy Plans can be found here https://www.thefa.com/competitions/uefa-womens-euro-2022/legacy-programm.... Delivery will commence across the 3 host boroughs shortly whilst we also explore how to have a wider impact across London. The FA are mapping the current position in London and how legacy focus could support core Mayoral and GLA strategy priorities – it is important to me that the community engagement is not just centred on participation but also supports engagement which tackles the key social issues of Sport Unites – decreasing inactivity and serious youth violence, increasing social mixing, and supporting improved mental wellbeing of Londoners.
Alongside the FA, the GLA will be delivering the Host City Volunteering Programme for the Women’s UEFA European Football Championships. Football is a fantastic tool for engaging communities and encouraging engagement – the volunteering programme will reach further than the event itself, and aim to also increase engagement locally and expand the reach of football in London boroughs.

London Fire Brigade (3)

Susan Hall: Could the Mayor confirm how our resilience teams will make sure viruses such as Coronavirus are included in risk assessments in the future?

The Mayor: The work of resilience teams in London is guided by the London Risk Register published by the London Resilience Forum. The teams have access to background information supporting each risk assessment. Influenza-type pandemic and emerging infectious diseases risk assessments are included in the register. Assessments are based on advice from Central Government and all partners, especially the health sector. The London Risk Advisory Group, which includes representatives of the health sector, prepares the Risk Register for approval by the Forum. It reviews its assessment and updates the register annually.

London Fire Brigade (4)

Susan Hall: Could the Mayor confirm whether LFB has implemented the Grenfell Tower Phase 1 Inquiry recommendation to develop policies and training to ensure better control of breathing apparatus deployments?

The Mayor: To address this recommendation, two existing London Fire Brigade (LFB) policies, PN633 High Rise Firefighting and PN790 Fire Survival Guidance (FSG) have been reviewed and updated and a new policy PN970 Evacuation and Rescue from Fires in Premises has been developed, agreed and published.
These policies in combination provide the operational framework and improved communications links between the incident ground and LFB’s fire control room, ensuring the most efficient deployments of breathing apparatus teams to identify, locate and rescue those most at risk from fire.The training provided to launch these policies has been extensive in order to ensure that control officers, incident commanders and firefighters all understand their essential roles and how they interrelate. The revised PN790 and the new PN970 went live on the 31March 2021. The revised PN633 went live on 30 June 2021.

Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting

Marina Ahmad: Will you join the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in calling on the Government for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting?

The Mayor: I have called, and will continue to call, on the Government to make good on its commitment to introduce and enforce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.
I have encouraged employers to not just report but take action on the ethnicity pay gap. My Good Work Standard encourages businesses to publish their ethnicity pay gap data and demonstrate their commitment to preventing discrimination.As part of the work of my Workforce Integration Network, I have also published an employer toolkit which sets out how businesses can recruit and retain Black staff, who are disproportionately affected by low pay, and help them progress. I will continue to work with employers across London - to look at their policies and practices to ensure we continue to progress towards a city where all Londoners can thrive.

GLA Group Switch to Renewable Energy

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on the plans for the wider GLA group to move to renewable energy, including proposals for the building of new renewable assets and what percentages are hoped to be reached by which years.

The Mayor: We are working with the GLA Group to explore collaboratively procuring Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to supply renewable energy to the Group, including TfL, the largest energy consumer in London. We are also developing an innovative financing mechanism to fund construction of new renewable assets. This will involve creating a fund for public and private investors to invest directly into new renewable projects, which in turn supply energy to the GLA Group.
Initially, TfL will begin procurement this year for 20% of their energy to be supplied by PPAs. 10% of this will be from a new build asset, with the GLA financing mechanism available to developers to fund asset development. For the wider Group, we are developing the business case for future collaborative PPAs. City Hall uses 100% green energy and the Crystal will switch to 100% renewable energy before it is occupied by GLA staff.

Zero Carbon London

Leonie Cooper: What action can Londoners expect during this Mayoral term to reduce London’s carbon emissions?

The Mayor: My manifesto sets out my ten-point plan for a green new deal. This includes aiming for London to be carbon neutral by 2030 and working with the city’s major public, private and voluntary institutions to do all we can to reduce emissions. This includes ensuring London’s finance institutions play their part through divestment and investing in green projects. I will also work to make London’s transport system the greenest in the world and expand the ULEZ in October 2021.
I will lead a clean energy revolution, maximising the impact of the GLA group in supporting green energy and support the uptake of solar PV through my Community Energy Fund. I will accelerate retrofitting in London, making the case for the funds and powers London needs while leading the country in carbon standards for new housing. I will also work to make London a zero-waste city, investing in the circular economy and supporting cleantech businesses. Finally, I will support the London Recovery Board in its efforts to double the size of London’s green economy and ensure that London’s transition is a just one.

Domestic Abuse (3)

Sem Moema: Has your Victims’ Commissioner made any provision for out of hours emergency accommodation for victims, including at evenings and at weekends?

The Mayor: No. The provision of services is not a function that is undertaken by the Victims’ Commissioner for London.
MOPAC is a commissioner of victim services but, with the exception of the emergency response due to the pandemic, is not a commissioner for emergency accommodation.

GLA planning process (1)

Nicholas Rogers: Do you recognise that many residents feel excluded from participating in the call-in process? What plans do you have to increase public participation in and consultation on called-in planning applications?

The Mayor: I am committed to implementing Objective GG1 in the London Plan, which focuses on early and inclusive engagement in planning. To assist with this, my officers are currently developing an engagement strategy which would cover key aspects of the planning process where the GLA is involved and which will also include guidance for developers on how they should engage with the community on called in applications. I have also updated our hearing process to enable people to attend and engage remotely as well as in person, to support greater community involvement in the process.

MOPAC Funds (4)

Sem Moema: What work is your Violence Reduction Unit undertaking with schools to deliver anti knife crime education?

The Mayor: Knife crime is a complex social problem, and the solution must involve collaboration between children’s services, schools, police, and housing authorities – all of which have been systematically defunded in the last decade. The VRU are funding a variety of multi-disciplinary projects which equip schools to take trauma-informed approaches to support children who grow up in toxic environments, helping them to feel safer, able to access positive opportunities and role models, and diverting them away from violence and knife crime.
The VRU also works with London’s 32 Community Safety Partnerships, continually reviewing their local violence reduction action plans which include a substantial education element.
Dovetailing with the VRU’s programmes, MOPAC funds the Ben Kinsella Trust to deliver ‘Best of You’, a programme which equips vulnerable students across four boroughs with confidence and skills and raises awareness of how easy it can be to become a victim or perpetrator of knife crime.

GLA planning process (2)

Nicholas Rogers: What is the process for calculating the impact of ancillary vehicle movements – e.g. Uber, Amazon, Deliveroo etc – on planned development? There appears to be no consideration of this at present – which does not reflect modern life in London. Do you agree that this is especially relevant for dense developments and is currently a significant gap in the planning process?

The Mayor: This is an important consideration for all new development. As such, planning applications are expected to include an assessment of these impacts, including personal travel and deliveries, in accordance with the transport policies of the London Plan 2021. This should be included in a Transport Assessment or Statement submitted with the planning application.
The full process for calculating the impacts of vehicle movements from planned developments can be found here and includes sourcing survey data from existing, comparable developments.
Planning permissions should secure appropriate mitigation along with delivery and servicing plans.
In addition, all major developments are required to submit an air quality assessment and meet the requirements of London Plan Policy SI 1 Improving air quality.
TfL’s Delivery and Servicing Plan Guidance, published in December 2020, is applicable to planned developments and existing developments and supports Good Growth as set out in both the London Plan and Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

Young People and the LFB (1)

Anne Clarke: How have the LFB supported and maintained fire cadet services under COVID-19 restrictions?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has continued to support the delivery of Fire Cadets throughout the pandemic restrictions with each unit meeting virtually one evening each week as part of their sessions.
In January 2021, the final 15 Fire Cadets units were launched virtually, providing units in every London borough which was made possible by the support I provided through the Young Londoners Fund. When COVID-19 restrictions eased, in line with National Youth Agency and National Fire Chiefs Council guidelines, Fire Cadet units resumed face-to-face meetings in April 2021. The units continue to meet weekly at those fire station hubs which have the facility to accommodate young people and volunteers safely and separately from operational fire station staff. Preparations are underway for a September return to venues in all 33 boroughs, subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

Metropolitan Open Land

Sakina Sheikh: Can you tell me how many planning applications have involved construction on Metropolitan Open Land in the each of the last five years?

The Mayor: My London Plan has a clear objective that Metropolitan Open Land should be afforded the same protection as Green Belt and protected from inappropriate development. The National Planning Policy Framework does allow development on protected open space if very special circumstances can be demonstrated.
The number of planning permissions involving construction that would lead to a loss of Metropolitan Open Land by year over the last five years for which the data is currently available is as follows:
The data is derived from the data in the London Plan Annual Monitoring Reports. These statistics include permissions on previously developed open space and for uses that are ancillary to the primary use as open space, such as sports facilities. They may also include improvements to existing or adjacent open space, such as greater public access.

Domestic Abuse (11)

Sem Moema: Please give a breakdown on the number of domestic abuse offences against disabled Londoners for each year since 2010.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 3226_Domestic Abuse.xlsx